A Second Glance, Book I
by Valkrez
Summary: What if it wasn't Mako who Korra was looking at that night? The developing friendship and secret affair between Asami Sato and Avatar Korra, a parallel canon story taking place in Book I
1. Chapter 1

She hadn't been in Republic City for very long, but Korra was starting to believe that she was getting a handle on what it was like to live in the modern world. There had been some very quick, hard lessons but in all honesty she preferred to learn that way. Obstacles which came at her head-on fit her nature; it was the lessons which required subtle observation that truly taxed her. She was sure that that was why she couldn't master airbending, and she knew that was why she wasn't likely to be mastering politics any time soon either.

It frustrated Korra when she couldn't grasp a technique. Being the Avatar meant that her entire life had been acquiring one skillset after another but once she set foot on the Republic City tarmac she'd been struck by the realization that, inconceivably, there were some things she just couldn't do. At least, not yet.

Partially, her determination to learn her way through the convoluted mire that was Republic City politics was why she gave in to the invitation for Councilman Tarrlok's gala event at City Hall. She knew tenacity when she saw it and Tarrlok had it in spades... but that didn't mean he was going to get what he wanted from her. She was certain that if she showed him to his face that she was a woman that knew her mind then he would respect her decision to abstain from the Equalist task force with finality. She was the Avatar: she wouldn't be bought, and she would not be bullied.

That had been her plan then when she walked into the glittering chamber of elite and influential with Master Tenzin, dressed in her Southern Water Tribe best and brimming with an excited resolve. Here she was, the Avatar, and after years of isolation at the pole she was finally in the world arena that she'd been yearning for. People would be able to look at her and see that the bridge between worlds, strong and proud, was ready to take her place as the guardian of balance and peace.

And then she saw a flash of emerald across the gently meandering sea of bodies.

There are moments in a life which seem at first to be burned into memory but the details of which will, with time, become softer and less distinct until all that is left of the event is the emotion it inspired and Korra would remember the feeling that stung through her for a very, very long time. The woman whom she caught sight of, if only for second, was lovely in a way she wasn't accustomed to. She'd known beautiful women all her life, from every nation, but this woman was incomparable not because of her features alone but particularly the grace with which she carried herself. There was a relaxed confidence in her step, in the way she tossed a cascade of black curls from one shoulder to the other as she swept her attention across the men seeking to charm her. There was status to her too, that was apparent in her dress and jewelry from even a distance, but what caught Korra a second time was the smile that slipped across her narrow, fair features. It was the smile of someone who knew something, and she wasn't sharing secrets.

Then a figure blocked Korra's view and the moment was gone, severed as easily as webbing.

"So glad you could make it, Avatar," Tarlokk was oozing as he swept his way across the floor, demanding her attention. "If you'll excuse us," he smiled at Tenzin behind her. "The city awaits her hero." He made an assuming motion for her to join him and, left with no polite recourse Korra shrugged and walked alongside him deeper into the party. She made sure to keep her chin tilted up with Tarlokk nearby, wanting him to see in her the confidence she was hoping for.

"Korra," he twisted neatly on his heel, his smile a permanent slip on his features as he gestured towards a middle-aged and immaculately dressed man across from them. "I'd like for you to meet Republic City's most famous industrialist, Hiroshi Sato."

"It's nice to meet you," she smiled to the man, deciding that this social navigating wasn't so hard.

Mister Sato nodded graciously back to her. "We're expecting such great things from you."

It struck her at once as an unexpected remark, one which slightly dimmed the glow of her enthusiasm. 'Right. Greatness,' she sighed inwardly, attempting to not recall the sound of Amon's voice on the radio earlier that day.

"Korra," a more familiar voice called suddenly and she managed to pinpoint it through the crowd before her stomach flipped uncomfortably.

She had met Bolin and his brother Mako after being in the city only a few days, when a chance encounter had led her into the waiting room with the fabulous ProBending-brother team. To say that they made immediate friends wouldn't have been the whole truth... Mako took some getting used to and Korra wasn't great at getting used to people, but she found that when the firebender's stoic frown shifted into a sidelong grin he became instantly easier to like. A lot easier.

So, when she saw him weave towards her through the crowd, dressed trimly in a dark suit that emphasized the width of his shoulders, she smiled with excitement which at once became dread when she saw the woman on his arm.

 _Her._

"This is my daughter," Hiroshi was saying from someplace distant. "Asami."

Korra tried to maintain a socially acceptable smile while she grit her teeth against the twisting in her abdomen. This moment was only getting worse.

"It's wonderful to meet you," Asami Sato insisted. Her voice had a silken quality to it, delicate but somehow firm. "Mako's told me all about you."

'Oh really?' She demanded inwardly. 'Because I had no idea that you existed.'

"How did you two meet?" Korra attempted to regain her former 'cocktail pleasantness'. Her eyes remained fixed on Mako so that she wouldn't have to look again at Asami and absorb details of just how much of a beauty the girl was, even up close.

Mako and Asami shared an embarrassed smirk while Bolin explained that the one had hit the other on a moped. Mako being Mako, he passed off any concern for his physical fortitude by announcing that his crash meant nothing in light of the fact that Mister Sato had offered to sponsor the Fire Ferrets team entry into the ProBending tournament at the end of the week. Throughout his and Bolin's shared excitement of the fact, Korra tried to maintain a similar enthusiasm and swallow back the wrenching in her gut. Mako was with this... Asami... and who could blame him? She was gorgeous.

The conversation was curtailed by Tarlokk reinserting himself to flag down and introduce police chief Lin Beifong, who was giving Korra a look cool enough to pause whatever internal angst she was battling with over Mako and Asami.

"Lin, I believe you know the Avatar."

The chief's lip curled with distaste as she took a stern step past Tarlokk and towards her. This close, Korra could see the scars which clawed down Beifong's jaw. "Just because the city threw you a little party, don't think that means you're special. Remember, you've done nothing to deserve all of this."

Before Korra could react with anything other than a scowl, the police chief had marched away to ruin some other poor soul's night. Tarlokk, unfazed by Lin's brusqueness, was saying something new to her now. He was wanting to lead her to meet another name from some other company but the Avatar's keenness to impress at the party had wavered in the face of the chief's short and cutting remark as well as Mako's choice in party guest. She spared a glance over her shoulder, not meaning to look for the couple but doing so on reflex. Some feet away stood Asami Sato, arm curled around Makko's and chuckling appreciatively at a doubtlessly vain comment but just for an instant, her green gaze flicked almost magnetically to Korra's and the Avatar felt her ears burn before she followed alongside Tarlokk, actually thankful for his distraction.

* * *

Asami lay awake in her bed, watching the lights from the garden outside play liquidly across the cloth of her canopy. In the dark, the dim lines melded and drifted across her mind's eye to create patterns both meaningless and significant. A sleepy hum tore her gaze from the lights to the boy in bed beside her, curled with his cheek resting on his wrist and she smirked through the dark at him.

It was adorable how hard Mako was trying to play the gentleman with her. She'd nearly had to pull him bodily into her room, while he protested about disrespecting her father's roof. She had tilted her head and scoffed sweetly while unbuttoning her vest and little more had been necessary to get him to relax on her coverlet but he was still Mako, dour and insistent. They'd kept their clothes on, mostly, and only played enough to satiate their needs rather than enjoy full satisfaction. He seemed to think she was too inexperienced for further steps but Asami was quickly realizing that between the two of them, the firebender was the unsure one. It made him just a little cuter.

However, it wasn't thoughts of Mako's endearing stoicism which was keeping her awake tonight. Asami was thinking about the Avatar, and she didn't know why.

Asami recalled the first moment she'd met Korra, and how her tongue had swelled around something charming to say only to find the most socially uninspired introduction falling out of her mouth. It had been apparent to her even then that Korra didn't think much of her, and why should she? She was the Avatar, while she herself was just a socialite and part-time engineer. Korra was destined to spend her entire life working to create peace in the world, to help all different classes and cultures of people and what did Asami do? She had tea with other rich daughters and read poetry and designed faster combustible engines. Compared to her, Korra was a demi-divine and she was just a girl.

Seeing Korra in action at the ProBending Arena had made this fact harshly clear to her. At first, it was simply mesmerizing to watch Korra bend water in the arena alongside her teammates. She moved the element around her with such a thoughtless grace it was if she were more water than woman. Before Asami had watched Korra spin sheets of spray around her as she danced and dodged across the arena, water had just been a means to her. Korra made it into an art.

And then the attack had come and Asami had felt terrified, for herself and for the people surrounding her. Her first thought once the glitter of chi-blockers filled the stadium had been 'Don't make me watch more people die,' and she'd felt so frustratingly helpless from her place in the champion's waiting room. She had clenched her fists, resolved to do something, anything, simply so that she wouldn't have to stand by as a victim's witness once again but then her vision had filled with bursts of light so fierce that she'd felt the impact in her chest. The bomb had stunned her, leaving her on her backside in fresh fear, but not Korra.

Korra didn't even falter, and she didn't even plan. Asami had a line of sight on her from her place in the box and though the Avatar had no idea she was watching, Asami had seen the utter lack of hesitancy as Korra gathered the water to propel herself impossibly upwards.

And that, in Asami's mind, was Korra. She barely knew her at all, but it only took that single moment for her to understand that Korra was a person of indomitable need to fight back. She would be relentless in her pursuit of defending others, and in accomplishing what she saw was right.

Asami sighed a little, curling her own black hair through her fingers. She had invited Korra to come to the house tomorrow, playing off that she could join her and the boys in relaxing at the pool but all she wanted was another chance at the woman to make some sort of better impression. She wasn't sure why, but she was sincerely hoping that she could win Korra's friendship.


	2. Chapter 2

The Avatar approached the Sato estate with some minor trepidation. It wasn't the sheer, glimmering size of the complex which caused her shuffling steps however; she was quickly growing used to the manifestations of wealth in Republic City. It was more to do with who was inside of the manor than the manor itself. Korra had accepted the invitation to Asami's house out of pressure to appease Mako and Bolin more than any real interest, and she had also found it oddly difficult to turn down Asami's kind insistence.

It had taken her a little by surprise that Asami wanted her around in the first place. She couldn't figure out why a sophisticated woman like her would want anything to do with a Water Tribe girl who didn't have 10 yuan to her name, but she supposed that she was going to find out. Most likely, she decided, Asami was simply taking pity on her for being drab and "right off the boat." Maybe Sato just wanted someone around to pawn Bolin off on while she spent more personal time with Mako...

Korra sighed as she mashed the call button at the gate outside of the main house. A buzzing could be heard from the doors across the drive in front of her and a houseman in formal coattails appeared almost at once to come for the gate. He greeted her with what Korra thought was an overbearing formality and led her into the manor proper, then down a hall and a staircase into the pool house. Korra could smell the salt water before she saw it and it was almost a comfort to her anxious stomach.

Then, she was standing in the tile-lined room and her stomach simply twisted all the worse. Bolin was tumbling down a water slide with giddy force while his Fire Ferret, Pabu, squealed and clung to his matted black hair. Mako was relaxed against the pool edge, half-smirking at his brother, and Asami was sitting with her bare legs crossed into the pool water beside him. Korra took in one glance of the Sato heiress in her fitted black suit, hair curling damply down her shoulder and lips lined in perfect red before she clenched her jaw and looked determinedly away. Fortunately, any fluster on her part was broken when the butler introduced her and all eyes swiveled to the doorway.

"Hey," Mako greeted, gladly, while Asami waved and Bolin threw out his arms in a long-distance hug.

"Welcome Korra!"

The Avatar felt herself relax a little with such a friendly reception and she lifted her chin back in greeting, moving to sit on a nearby lounge chair. She was pretty sure that she wasn't going to be getting into the water any time soon; she didn't exactly want to wind up under one of Bolin's cannonball dives and seeing how Asami made a even bathing suit as graceful as a dinner gown reinforced her desire to keep her clothes on.

"Hey. You guys look pretty at home," she noted with a small grin.

"Yeah... " Mako agreed, taking a lap towards her. "Only, Asami forgot a minor detail when she invited us."

Asami, who was also swimming closer to Korra, shrugged. Obviously she wasn't feeling too contrite about the miscommunication. "I forgot to ask my father... but I find it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission."

Korra wasn't sure what to think of that, but then again she had snuck off to Republic City without permission and she had no regrets there. "So... what are we doing today?" She asked, attempting to move the subject along while the boys began to wrestle. "Shopping and makeup?"  
She wondered if the heiress was going to want to give her the makeover which Pema had been encouraging for weeks now. Korra didn't understand the appeal of so much time and money wasted on aesthetics that didn't matter but Pema thought it would help her to feel more "approachable" by the rest of Republic City. Korra had rolled her eyes at the notion however, not seeing how fur-lined boots and tribal arm bands kept people from feeling familiar with her.

Asami chuckled as she grasped the railing of a pool ladder and started to climb from the water, leaving rivulets to run down the backs of her thighs and looking over her shoulder at Korra with a glance that caused the Avatar to swallow. "Actually, maybe you'd like to try something a little more exciting?"

* * *

The test track weaved around the grounds behind the manor: crisp white lines ontop of a fresh blacktop. Asami could smell the mix of tar and oil which greeted their arrival to the spectator's awning and, as always, it struck an excited cord in her breast.

She'd felt nervous when Korra had appeared, with no more clues as to why than what she'd had the night before while musing on the Avatar. It was silly, in retrospect, to use a swimming pool to entice a waterbender. Korra hadn't even shown the slightest interest in the water and Asami sighed at herself for thinking that a Water Tribe woman would be impressed with an indoor pool. Korra was probably used to swimming in the bay around Air Temple Island, after all.

With the track in front of her though, Asami felt sure in her shoes once again and she flashed a look at Korra to find what the Avatar thought of the gleaming Satomobiles whizzing across the asphalt. She was pleased and a little fluttery to see that Korra's blue eyes were following the cars with full attention, a slight line at the upper corner of her mouth.

"Ever been behind the wheel?" She asked, leading Korra and the boys to their seats above the track.

Korra laughed a little. "No," she answered, still watching the cars with appreciation. "The only thing that I know how to drive is a polar bear dog, and she doesn't come with gears."

"Well, I could take you for a spin," she offered, brow arched.

Korra's soft southern features slipped into a fierce, firm grin that made Asami fluttery again. "All right, let's do it."

Asami grinned back and stood at once, pulling Korra to her feet with a light hold to her arm. She looked at Mako and Bolin, who were messily sharing a basket of salt-boiled nuts. "You boys can stay up here and be the judge."

"Oh," Bolin shrugged and wiped his nose as Pabu reached over his shoulder to grab a nut from his fist. "Sure thing, but I call next!"

"Careful with the Avatar," Mako teased and winked at her. Asami turned, still leading Korra with her to exit the benches, unaware of the scowl which Korra was shooting Mako.

"I guess that mean's I better drive my best," she suggested over her shoulder at the other woman and won a smirk in return.

"I'm not exactly fragile." They were walking side-by-side now around the bend to the pit lane. Asami waved down the test drivers and pointed to the lane to indicate she intended to take a lap and the drivers both pulled into the space. Korra was taking a closer look at the machinery, paying attention to the sleek hood shape and testing the tires with her boot and for some reason, Asami felt a sudden surge of ego. "You know, I helped design these," she hazarded.

Korra looked up at her and smiled crookedly. "Really?" She asked, enthusiasm in her voice and Asami felt her chest swell even more.

"Yeah," she grabbed a helmet and tossed it to the Avatar. "These were the second project that I got to work on. I think my dad thought I was kidding when I asked to help on the first model but he was really impressed with the tweaks I made to the exhaust system. This time, he put me on the design team. I really wanted a shape that would cut drag..." she realized that she was now boasting as well as rambling and blushed apologetically.

Korra however didn't seem to notice. "Well, show me!" She insisted, clipping the helmet in place and hopping into the back passenger seat.

Asami tucked her hair back and then pulled on her own helmet, slipping her goggles firmly on as well. She coasted the car into place at the start line and her racing partner, one of the company testers, pulled up beside her.

"Are you buckled in?" She asked over her shoulder and there was a pause before she heard a 'click'.

"Uh, I am now."

Asami bit back a laugh and shook her head, suddenly less intimidated by the Avatar. She looked over to the canary-yellow car beside her and the driver shared a firm nod with her, signaling to her that he was ready. The start light in front of them flashed from red to yellow and Asami shifted along with it. With the steering wheel in her hands and the purr of the engine rumbling in her ears, she was no longer the pleasant, mild-mannered patrician heiress of the Republic City social papers. Now, she was Asami, and she was going cut a swath of carbon furry across this track. She narrowed her venom gaze on the blacktop in front of her and held her breath, foot hovering over the gas. The light clicked green, and she was peeling her car over the line, only vaguely aware of Korra's surprised shout from behind her.

The two cars weaved along the track, taking in turns by such narrow margins that the boys watching were struck silent. The same could not be said of Korra, who was shouting in mixed triumph and panic at every sharp pull of the steering wheel. Asami pushed harder and harder, playing between pedals to get the most of her turns and straight-ways and finally on the last curve she saw her opening and without hesitation, she took it. Her car came roaring across the finish line some feet in front of the other and she felt the buzz of victory ringing pleasantly in her head. It was a high she couldn't compare.

She slowed the car back into the pit lane and the moment she was parked, Korra slipped out of her seat and all but hopped on the balls of her feet. "That was amazing!" She declared, furiously. "Man, I wasn't sure we were going to make it there for a minute."

Asami took a breath to switch modes back into the Sato heiress she was supposed to be and shrugged, tugging off her helmet. "Well, if you're not taking a risk sometimes... what's the point?"

Korra paused and gave her a careful look, and Asami had the distinct impression that she was getting her second evaluation from the Avatar. It made her hold her breath.

"I'm kind of sorry to admit it, but I think I had you pegged wrong," she said, surprising Asami with her apology. "I actually thought you were more... prissy."

Asami chuckled, pleased. "Most people do," she agreed wryly. "I get that I look like 'daddy's little girl', but I think I can handle myself. My father's had me in defense arts since I was small."

Korra smirked with approval, hands on her hips. "He's a smart guy. Maybe you could show off for me sometime."

Asami tilted her chin by a half inch, looking back at Korra's clear blue gaze and wondering if it was a challenge she saw flashing back at her. "I think I'd like that."


	3. Chapter 3

Korra had wanted to be wrong about Hiroshi Sato's involvement in the Equalist movement, she really did, but not once in the investigation did she feel her conviction falter. Not even when police chief Beifong's crew examined and found nothing incriminating in the industrialist's factories, or when Mako threatened their friendship if Korra didn't give up. Not even when Asami cast her a look over the firebender's shoulder, her emerald eyes soft with betrayal. Korra couldn't understand why it was that that simple glance caused her chest to clench, but she still couldn't relent. She knew that Hiroshi was running afoul, and she was determined to find out how... even if it meant she was going to loose Mako. Even if it meant she would loose Asami.

And then, she had been right. An anonymous tip led the investigation back to the Sato estate and, begrudgingly, Asami led chief Beifong and her officers out of the house and down the back lawn into the night, towards her father's workshop. Lin walked on the heiress's left, and Korra at her right while the rest trailed behind. The breeze that greeted them as they made their away across the grounds was cool, and the Avatar could sense the promise of winter on the crisp edges of the wind blowing past her ears. She glanced through it at Asami beside her, but the other woman wouldn't return her gaze. Instead, she was staring steadfast ahead of them at the garage, as if fixating her attention on that spot would keep her barely withheld anger in check. Korra saw that her hands were clenched in tight fists at her side.

"Asami, listen-"

"Don't bother, Korra," came the clipped reply and the Avatar felt a little sick. She had only just gotten on good terms with Asami... very good terms in fact. She'd never had a female friend like the engineer, who was equal parts clever and bold and capable. Korra hadn't expected to admire Asami more the better she came to know her and no sooner had she decided that she did in fact like being around the woman then she had caused all of this trouble. However, she refused to back down. She was the Avatar, and finding out whether or not Asami's father was assisting a group of terrorists was her responsibility. She had to follow through.

They approached the garage and the metalbender officers did their sweep, both inside and out. Asami stood by, unsurprised as they reported back to Lin that the garage and grounds were empty, though she seemed slightly unsettled that her father was nowhere in sight.

Then Beifong centered herself in the steel-lined garage and, baring her foot, stomped firmly against the flooring. She was completely still for several moments, and then straightened. "There's a tunnel beneath the facility," she reported in her severe manner. "It runs into the mountainside."

"No, that's impossible," Asami protested but the police chief ignored her. Lin looked towards a central panel in the flooring and brought up her fists, tearing the metal sheet upwards by its hinges and revealing for all present the man-made tunnel which dropped beneath the garage and then climbed downward in the direction of the adjacent mountainside. Standing beside Asami, Korra heard could hear the clear tremor of vain hope in the woman's voice. "There simply has to be some sort of explanation..."

Guilt squeezed into Korra and she had never before been so unhappy at being right. She looked at the woman next to her and lifted out a hand to touch her shoulder, but caught herself from the gesture. "I'm sorry," she muttered unhappily. "Maybe you don't know everything about your father."

Asami tore her gaze from the tunnel to look back at the Avatar, and Korra ached to see the fear written on her lovely features. She realized that this moment was fraying the tight weave of Asami's structured little life, and for a moment, she almost reconsidered. Chief Beifong was already handing out orders however, and Korra felt herself being drawn to the downwards lift. As they lowered into the tunnel she looked back to say some final apology, but words were useless. Asami simply watched her descend, and Korra could see her heart gently breaking. 

* * *

Korra wasn't certain what she had been expecting below the Sato estate, but the rows of platinum mechatanks had been a surprise. Equally surprising was the platinum wall which slammed down from the lofty cavern roof to suddenly encase her, Beifong, Tenzin and the rest of the metalbender police in the warehouse. The fight which followed wasn't one of Korra's proudest moments, and it didn't exactly fill either Lin or Tenzin with self-admiration either. The mechatanks were unbendable, and expertly designed to not only utilize machine-grade strength but also chi-blocking power surges which made humiliatingly short work of the Avatar and the other masters. One burst of crackling blue energy to her midriff and Korra was on the floor, aware of nothing.

When she awoke, the warehouse was filling up with Equalist suits. Two trucks, lined in that same highly refined platinum, were being loaded with the comatose metalbenders under Hiroshi Sato's direction. She had enough presence of self to grit her teeth, testing her ability to move and looking for an opening but a hand grasped hers and suddenly she was being lifted bodily up and slung over... Mako? She could smell the firebender's penny-store pomade and was only just able to tilt her chin to look through the dim warehouse lighting at her friend. Mako had his amber gaze stuck on the Equalists however, being careful to make sure he and Bolin weren't noticed as they crept at the edges of the room to sneak Korra, Beifong, and Tenzin out of sight.

Korra felt a flash of hope, and tried to clench her hands. She needed to be on her own feet; she needed to fight back. She couldn't just let Hiroshi and his men get away with what they had done and what they would undoubtedly still do with this technology.

A beam of faux-white light burst suddenly on Mako and Bolin and the two looked up, caught in the act. Hiroshi Sato stood silhouetted in the glow, chi-blocker gloves strapped to his hands and he glowered thunderously at the brothers through his narrow spectacles. Tenzin was hanging off Bolin's shoulders and in some attempt to rouse the airbending master, Bolin grabbed the older man's hands to gesture around himself. "Oh, Mister Sato, hi, hello. I was just wanting to come by and thank you for the hospital-"

"Grab them," Hiroshi ordered and a man bearing two chi-blocker batons made a step towards them. Mako and Bolin both immediately shifted into stances to protect themselves and Korra, still struggling to regain control of her muscles, groaned into Mako's ear. If those chi-blockers had taken down two masters like Tenzin and Beifong, she wasn't very confident in how well her ProBending teammates would fare.

"Dad, stop!" Asami's voice rang from the warehouse corner, taking everyone by surprise. Hiroshi turned to look through the light at his daughter and his features seemed suddenly grey and tired as they met her desperately wounded gaze. "...Why?" She croaked.

His shoulders slumped. "Sweetie, I didn't want you to be a part of this. Now that you know, I have to ask that you forgive me."

Korra finally found that she could move her head enough to lift her chin and she stared hard at Hiroshi's silhouette, but all she could do was watch the scene that was playing out in front of her.

"Benders took away your mother, my wife," his voice was tight with an agony that Korra could see reflected on Asami's face. "We can fix it, with Amon. Amon can build us a perfect world." He offered her one of his gloves. "Help me, sweetie."

Asami stared back at him, emotion welling in her eyes and Korra felt a sudden, fresh wave of contempt for Hiroshi. How could he do this to her, his own daughter? To lie to her, and then manipulate her with such raw grief? What sort of father would force that sort of choice, between her love for him or her beliefs? Korra watched the heiress step forward and take the offered glove and despite the empty pit yawing in her stomach, she couldn't blame Asami for her decision. She just hated Hiroshi.

"I'm sorry, dad," Asami murmured as she looked at the device now strapped to her hand and then placed her palm to Sato's chest. Blue light crackled from the blocker, stunning Sato to the ground. His nearest henchman swung at her with his batons at once but she was prepared for him. Defense arts since she was a little girl, after all. She caught his wrist under the baton and swung him back from her, and then with unexpected speed she bent his baton against his chin. He shuttered like Sato and crumpled to the floor.

Korra and the others stared in dismay but they hardly had time to process what had just happened. The standby mechas were turning on them to attack, and Mako shouted for them to run. Korra managed to slip off his shoulders to her feet, unsteadily, and rushed forward to grab Asami, who was looking down at her father in pained dismay. The Avatar pulled her to follow the others back across the floor and down into a cavern hole which Bolin had created for them. There was an instant, as Korra silently urged Asami down the escape tunnel in front of her, when the heiress looked back to catch Korra's eye and she was a little surprised to see not blame, but a firm little nod. 

* * *

They stood on a Republic City police airship, watching the Sato estate grow small as they drifted along the evening currents back into the city proper. Tenzin and an injured Lin Beifong were deep in conversation at the mid deck while Bolin bothered one of the pilots. Korra leaned over the deck railing with her arms crossed pensively as she watched the figures that stood at the observation glass ahead of her. Asami's head was tucked into Mako's chest and she could tell that the woman was sobbing from the rapid rise and fall of her shoulders.

Korra had suggested that Mako go and console Asami, so then why did the image make her feel so hollow? Why did she feel... petty? She supposed that it was all because Mako had picked the other girl over her, but it wasn't Mako whom she was studying across the deck. It was Asami. A sudden flush of confusion turned Korra away from the scene and she put the couple at her back, stomping off to find a distraction in Bolin.


	4. Chapter 4

It was a grey morning as the ferry cut across the bay towards Air Temple Island. Asami remained close to Mako, resting her cheek on the coarse fabric of his coat as she watched the island grow larger in her vision. She'd never been to Air Temple Island, despite living in Republic City all of her life, and if it were under any other circumstances she would have felt excited at the prospect of touring the home built by Avatar Aang. The memorial statue of the previous Avatar gazed watchfully out from the bay to her right and she turned her attention to the memorial, looking for any sign of Korra in the statue's serene features. There were none, but she did think that there was a determination in Aang's poised gaze, as there was in her memory of Korra's.

The dock of the Air Temple came into detail and she could see the Avatar standing there in her deep-blue Water Tribe hood, along with the airbender kids who seemed... enthused. The ferry docked and a flurry of movement began as the orange-and-yellow robed children accosted Bolin and Pabu while Mako climbed off the boat with athletic grace to greet Korra. Watching over the rail, Asami was curious to see that the Avatar looked quite anxious.

"Thanks for getting the air acolytes to help Asami with the move," Mako lifted his chin at Korra, who shrugged nonchalantly back.

"Yes, they've been a real help," Asami added and Korra's blue gaze shifted from Asami to the two acolytes trudging down off the ferry. Balanced between them were about twelve of the heiress's suitcases and the look which Korra gave the pile caused Asami to blush slightly. Maybe she had gone a little overboard on the packing.

"It's no problem," Korra promised, looking back to her. "We just want you to feel welcome."

The acolytes started up the hill towards the temple and Asami joined Mako and Bolin with Korra. The airbender kids seemed to have grown bored of hopping after Pabu and took it upon themselves to introduce _their_ guests to the island. Ikki, the middle girl, started into a very detailed explanation of the various landmarks they walked by with unyielding enthusiasm, only giving Asami a brief moment to look at each before moving to the next. She was beginning to see why people didn't visit the island very regularly.

In contrast, Korra, who was walking beside her, was being uncharacteristically quiet. Asami cut her gaze to the other woman and saw that Korra had her attention on her shoes as they moved along the path towards the temple. Suddenly, Ikki stopped the tour to announce that boys would be sleeping on one half of the island and girls on another. Well, that answered any lingering question of her and Mako spending more nights together. She was a little sorry to loose his companionship in her evenings, when fears for her father and her father's company were at their worst.

"Meelo," Korra addressed the youngest airbender. "Why don't you and Jinora show the guys to their dorms?"

The knobby-headed kid saluted enthusiastically and turned a ball of air under his foot to whip himself in the direction of the boys' rooms, but then paused to point a finger at Asami. "I will return to you, beautiful woman," he declared loudly and the simple ridiculousness of his too-big grin brought a much needed smile to her face.

"All right," she chuckled with a wave and the boys headed in the direction of their quarters while she followed Ikki and the Avatar to hers. The ladies dormitories were in a simple timber building painted white with blue, antique-styled eaves. The interior was all fitted, oiled wooden beams and the sea-salt of the nearby ocean blended pleasantly with the burning incense. With the others gone, Korra was even quieter and Asami was just beginning to wonder if it had something to do with the Water Tribe girl not wanting her around when Ikki beamed up at her.

"Did you know that Korra has a crush on Mako?"

The hallway almost collapsed under the tension suddenly strumming through it as Asami stumbled over a response. "Oh... well..." _that_ certainly explained a lot.

"Come on," the Avatar growled and looped an arm around Asami's, dragging her towards a room at the far end of a the hall and away from Ikki. She waved the heiress past a traditional screen door and Asami took a look around her new accommodations. The room was simple: a bed, dresser, a desk and window which revealed a charming image of Republic City across the bay but for Asami, it was almost surreal. She had never been an outsider looking in.

Korra slid the screen door shut the moment they were inside, barring Ikki in the hall with her screeching complaints.

"So," Korra scrubbed a hand through the back of her hair. "I know it's a little... rustic but..." she trailed, obviously a bit flustered.

"Actually, I think it's nice," Asami set down her shoulder pack and twisted on her heel to look warmly at the Avatar. She was sorry that her being here clearly made Korra so uncomfortable. "Im glad that nothing about it reminds me of home. Thank you, Korra." She added genuinely and the other woman brightened some.

At the same time, both women opened their mouths to say something else but another knock on the screen silenced whatever confessions would have been made.

"Ikki," Korra snarled at the door but was surprised by Tenzin's voice instead.

"Ladies, can I come in?"

"Of course, Master Tenzin," Asami called back sweetly and the airbender stepped over the threshold. "Asami," he bowed. "I wanted to welcome you to Air Temple Island."

She smiled at the somber features of her host. Tenzin had been unfailingly kind to her, despite what her father had tried to do to him. The capacity for friendliness among the airbenders, or perhaps simply among Aang's family, was heartwarming for a woman who felt so very suddenly alone in the world. She gave him a grateful smile.

"Thank you so much for inviting me here, Master Tenzin," she said, returning the bow. In anyone else's company she would have found the gesture dated, but on Air Temple Island it seemed to fit.

Tenzin's eyes shifted to Korra. "Councilman Tarlokk will be inducting a new chief of police tomorrow afternoon. I think that we should both be there."

"All right. Does that mean I don't have to do morning meditation?" She grinned cheekily but Tenzin's humorless huff made it clear she wouldn't be so lucky. Asami had to hide a smirk at the Avatar attempting to wheedle her way out of her training.

"I'll trust you to show our new guests around for the day, Korra, and see you both at dinner." He turned to leave, giving Asami another nod before shutting the door behind him.

And Asami was alone suddenly with Korra. "So..." she looked at the girl across from her, who was shifting on her heels.

The Avatar looked up at her abruptly, her bottom lip pressed between her teeth. "About what Ikki said-"

"Korra, you don't need to worry about it,"

"No, listen. I _did_ have a crush on Mako but that was back when I first met him, and now you two are together which is totally fine and..." she trailed, shrugging despondently. "I just wanted you to know that that's not how I feel any more."

The older girl gave her a fond look. Korra was so cute when she was uncomfortable. "Do you want to show me the island?"

She grinned a little. "Okay, but you might want to change shoes..." she gave Asami's three-inch heels a wary look.

Asami followed her gaze and pouted playfully. "You don't like them? They're all the rage on Yutan Boulevard."

"Well, this is Air Temple Island and you're taller than me as it is," she teased back, easing towards the door. "I'll meet you on the front steps."

"All right, just give me a few to change."

Korra left her with the door closed and Asami turned to one of her trunks, clicking open the lid to find something more suitable for hiking around a rocky outcropping. She selected a pair of burgundy shop jodhpurs and a black long-sleeved shirt and as she pulled on her garage boots (covered in oil stains and sporting a much more reasonable athletic heel) she wondered if she should go and get the brothers... but decided against it. For whatever reason, she was looking forward to spending some time with Korra to herself.

* * *

Korra was waiting where she promised she would be and when she twisted to give Asami a wide grin, the heiress felt that fluttering again. She wasn't sure how Korra kept managing to do that, but she didn't spend too much time trying to decipher it.

"Better?" She asked, motioning to her outfit and Korra nodded, hopping to her feet.

"You look great," she agreed and started to lead Asami around the dormitory and down the paved ramp towards the island center. Thankfully, she couldn't see the color her comment had brought to Asami's cheeks. They moved down a set of stone steps, the bay on their right. "So, um, that's the main temple and dining hall," she gestured to their left, reiterating what Ikki had explained earlier. "I hope you like vegetarian food... but if not we can always sneak back to the mainland after everyone's gone to bed."

"Do you sneak off that often?" She asked, brow arched coyly.

"Well... only when I'm bored. Or can't sleep. Or don't feel like meditating."

"So, a lot."

"Yeah, I guess so." They began to meander down the main courtyard, passing by a group of air acolytes who were practicing their sand gardening in tranquil quiet. Korra sighed. "I don't mean to disobey Tenzin, it's just that I've spent so much of my life staying put in one place... and now that I'm so close to Republic City I don't think it's possible for me to live that way any more. I'm sick of being shut away." She looked up at Asami with a startled expression. "Sorry," she muttered. "I didn't mean to just dump all of that on you."

"No, it's okay," she promised, putting a hand on Korra's arm for a moment. She was actually touched that Korra felt she could open up to her. "I can't imagine how isolating that must have been to grow up in South Pole."

"It's not that the South Pole is desolate or something." Korra insisted as they left the courtyard behind. "We have a thriving culture and a beautiful city. But Aang had the White Lotus keep me in this special compound miles outside of Harbor City. It was a really nice and I had the best trainers come in from all over the world but..."

"But you were still alone."

"Yeah." Korra looked back down at her feet as they walked, hands shoved in to her pockets.

Asami pursed her lips into a line, thinking that maybe she had broached a bitter topic. She attempted to change tact some. "How come Aang wanted you to grow up there?"

"I don't really know," she shrugged. "The White Lotus told me that it was for my protection. But, Aang had traveled the world twice by the time he was twelve years old. Or, a hundred and twelve. I don't really know why he didn't think that I should too."

It was obvious that this wasn't the first time Korra had puzzled over that question.

"Can't you ask him? I mean, I thought that the Avatar was supposed to be able to communicate with their past lives."

"Yeah... supposed to. I've never been able to reach Aang though. Tenzin says that I need to learn how to connect with my spiritual self, but every time I try I just..." she trailed off, unhappily and Asami bit her lip. Every little failure on Korra's part caused her so much misery. Asami couldn't imagine how much pressure it took to turn the Avatar's usual boisterous spirit into such pensiveness. She wished that she hadn't brought up the subject at all now, hating to see Korra so somber.

The heiress looked up for something to distract them both with and found to her surprise that they had walked into some sort of training area. A bamboo garden framed a circular platform ahead of them where a series of eight-foot tall erect wooden panels were arranged in a close-knitted pattern. The panels were mounted on what she gathered was a simple rotary rod and each had been hand carved in ornate detail.

"What are these?" She asked, approaching the panels. "They're beautiful."

"They're airbending gates. It's an ancient airbending training tool. You're supposed to move through them 'as a leaf'. Whatever that means." Korra came to stand beside her, looking up at the gates with significantly less impress.

Asami's fingers fluttered over blackened scars on one panel edge. "They look like they've seen better times."

"Yeah... " Korra scratched the base of her hairline, something which Asami was learning was a bit of a tick of hers. "I may have had something to do with that. I got a little frustrated during practice once." She gave Asami a bashful grin and the heiress smirked. She had her moments too.

"Can you show me how you use them?" She asked, spinning one lightly on its oiled rod. How neat, to learn an ancient airbending technique.

"Not without wind... and I can't really airbend. Though," she reached and spun another panel, moving in time to slip past it and further into the arrangement. "I can show you the general idea," she said from within the gates.

Asami's eyebrows lifted and she looked at the panel in front of her, then grasped the edges and turned it, stepping with it into the labyrinth of panels along with Korra. The Avatar was looking at her with a mischievous little glint in her blue eyes and spun another panel, vanishing behind it. Asami took an immediate step to where she had been, but the panel was spinning in the wrong direction and she could tell she'd get knocked if she tried to approach from that angle. She stepped to one at her left instead and turned with it, only to see Korra spinning two other panels ahead of her.

"Hey!" She called after the Avatar. "You're going too fast."

"What's wrong? I thought you liked to race." Came the blithe reply and Asami narrowed her eyes, and then turned another panel. A tail of dark blue vanished to her right and she turned at once in the other direction, moving along with the panel and just barely managed to reach out far enough to touch a finger to Korra's arm before the Avatar had moved on between two other panels.

"Ha!" She exclaimed in victory and then moved opposite of the direction Korra had gone.

"Oh, you're on now," she heard Korra announce and she laughed back as she began to turn panels, making her way deeper into the interior of the mechanism. She started to swing any panel she passed, meaning to confuse her opponent but was taken by utter surprise when she turned passed a panel and found herself directly in front of Korra. "Tag!" The Avatar laughed, poking Asami on the shoulder and then she stepped backwards around another panel before Asami could react in such tight quarters.

The heiress tried to move in time with her, but now most of the panels were either spinning rapidly or winding down and she had no clear view of where Korra had gone. She hazarded a direction, trying to rely on her hearing instead of her vision but the panels were starting to make her dizzy. She turned into one but misjudged the speed of the panel beside it and the wood smacked into her shoulder, sending her off balance. She came crashing through the opposite side with a gasp but didn't feel concrete under her. She looked behind her in surprise to see a grinning Avatar, holding her just under her shoulders.

"Gotchya," Korra laughed and Asami knew she was blushing. This close, she could tell that Korra had a warm, almost wild smell to her. It was wonderful.

She grinned back at the Avatar and then touched her hand to Korra's. "Tag."

Korra's eyebrows shot upwards and Asami giggled as she twisted upright and out of Korra's arms. "Hey, that doesn't count!" Korra was insisting but Asami was already slipping back among the gates. She was delighted to hear Korra give a groan and come in after her. 

* * *

Korra, Bolin and Mako were in a lounge room outside of the dining hall, just after dinner. The brothers were on the floor playing a rudimentary form of 'pai sho' which was getting them a raised eyebrow from Korra as she watched. She was seated on a low bench nearby, one leg tucked under her and her other knee bent to support her elbow. The airbender kids were supposed to be 'helping' the bending brothers but were mostly just making a collage of the game board. Mako kept rubbing his chin, glaring intently at the board while Bolin asked Meelo a serious question concerning every move the kid helped him to make. Korra just gently shook her head, watching them.

Asami appeared from the kitchen doorway and she caught Korra's attention at once, her sleeves rolled up from helping with the dishes and she tucked back a loose tendril of hair from her fringe as she stepped into the room. She gave Korra a soft smile and sat next to her on the bench, and there was just the slightest touch of the woman's shoulder to hers. Korra wondered in a silent panic if Asami had noticed but refused to look at her and find out. She just sat perfectly still and hopped Asami wouldn't move either.

Sitting with her friends, well fed and warm and laughing at the airbender kids, Korra realized that this moment was perhaps the most normal she'd felt since coming to Republic City, and she suddenly hoped that the boys and Asami would stay with her on the island for as long as possible. At the very least, for as long as it took her to find and end Amon.


	5. Chapter 5

Korra was resting, legs crossed and fists together as she tried to slow her breathing and listen for the voices of the past which, allegedly, should be near her spiritual center. As usual however, she heard nothing aside from Meelo wheezing through his gap tooth and the waves drumming gently against the cliff-face below them.

Footsteps sounded on the fitted boards of the pavilion and, knowing that she was supposed to ignore them, Korra opened one eye a sliver's worth and glanced back behind her. Asami was silhouetted in morning sun and gave her a hopeful wave before bowing to Tenzin, who had broken from his meditation to see who had arrived.

"May I join your meditation, Master Tenzin?" She asked in what Korra knew to be her most candied tone and the airbender tilted his chin.

"Of course, all are welcome in our pursuit of mastering a clear mind. Take a seat beside Korra."

Asami did as instructed, folding her legs as she took her place and the Avatar's mind was suddenly very muddled indeed. She tried to keep her poise, back straight and breathing steady while Asami arranged herself but whereas before she was listening to the rhythm of the bay, now all she could hear was the pounding in her chest. Surely everyone else could hear it as well? The thought of Tenzin noticing how flustered she suddenly felt caused her to blush with irritation, and now she was suddenly very conscious of how hot her cheeks were.

'Calm down, Korra,' she reprimanded herself. 'Focus. It's just Asami.'

But telling herself to be calm wasn't working this time. What if Tenzin saw her face and asked if she were okay? Then Asami would see her blushing too and then they'd all know...

She shook her head, and let out a tight breath. She didn't need to think about Asami right now, or what this churning in her stomach meant. What she _needed_ to do was find her center, where the link of her lives-

Asami's knee brushed hers and suddenly Korra's eyes shot open to see that Tenzin was staring directly at her.

"Korra," he said sternly and she jumped. "You are not focusing your breathing."

"I'm sorry Tenzin," she croaked, looking guiltily past his shoulder. "I'm just..." she needed an excuse before he realized that it was Asami that had her so distracted. "I have too much energy in the mornings to sit still and meditate."

Tenzin scowled softly and stroked his twisting beard. "Hmm. I can see how that may be a hindrance to your being able to relax. What if we mediated in the evenings instead, and you used this morning period for your stances?"

"I could help," Asami suggested simply, looking at Tenzin, who gave her a curious look in return. She shrugged a little. "I practice martial arts, we could spar some together," she shifted her green eyes over to land on Korra, who wondered if Asami was just being cruel. "Sparring and driving are what relax me."

"Hmph. Very well. You two can be excused then. Korra, I'll be by to resume your airbending training after the children and I have finished our meditation."

Korra got at once to her feet, fresh energy rippling through her now. "All right," she bowed and turned without waiting for Asami. She rushed out of the meditation pavilion and at the bottom of the steps she suddenly sprang upright and twisted in the air to land on her feet again. She really -did- feel riled up now.

"Hey, save it for the ring," Asami chuckled, walking down the steps to join her. She was dressed in the same getup from the day before and Korra noticed how the shirt fitted tightly to Asami's curves.

"Sorry, I feel like I could swim a lap around the island," she grinned.

Asami arched a brow and started with her across the courtyard to the other end of the training area. "Maybe we can just focus on a match first, and then see where that gets us. I didn't exactly bring a bathing suit for 30 degree water."

Korra heard herself give a nervous laugh in return and then they were turning around a flat segment of the training area, squaring off without really realizing. She lifted up her hands and looked across the six feet or so separating herself from Asami.

"Are you sure about this?" She asked. She had seen Asami in action once before, but that wasn't against a bender.

Asami shrugged. "About kicking the Avatar's ass? It's bound to be an experience." A velvet smile slipped along her features.

"Heh," Korra grunted back and then came towards the heiress for a low strike to her middle but Asami stepped around her and grasped her arm, tugging her off balance before disengaging with her hands upright in stance one again. "Okay..." Korra straightened and rolled her muscular shoulders before lifting up her fists once more. "This may be actually be fun."

* * *

An hour later and they were both panting, and just a little bit sore. Asami was proving to be a fun counter for Korra. She was fast, first off, and since she didn't have bending to rely on she was more likely to use Korra's surroundings against her to gain an upper-hand. Korra had to catch herself from using her earthbending more than once in an attempt to keep up. However, Asami couldn't take a hit as well as Korra could. She found that out the awkward way the first time that she landed a leg kick and Asami all but crumbled. She didn't complain though, at least not much. She got back up at once and walked it off, then squared off with her again. Korra made a mental note to keep a tighter rein on her strength for the rest of the match. With Bolin she could hit full force, but Asami wasn't the rough-and-tumble sort; her style was designed around -not- getting hit and she was doing a good job of leading Korra around the arena with her fluid avoidance.

"Are you ready to take a break?" She asked the heiress, who was wiping a line of sweat from her brow.

"What, did I wear you out already?"

Korra tightened her fists in response, looking between them at the woman smirking back at her. "I've got a little more stamina than that."

"I should hope so," she remarked slyly and Korra suddenly wondered what it was they were talking about. Her face must have mirrored her fluster because Asami laughed. "Listen, I really appreciate you working out with me like this."

"What do you mean? I thought you were the one helping me me." She relaxed on her heels some.

"Yes..." Asami lowered her hands, looking sheepishly at her. "But I also really needed the exercise. I've been pretty down ever since what happened with my dad. Yesterday and today have really helped though. I'm very glad that I got to come out here."

Korra couldn't help but to feel a warmth in her chest at the genuine smile on Asami's face. "I'm really glad you're here, too."

Asami's lips parted with something like surprise when they were interrupted by Tenzin at the edge of the arena. "Korra, it's time for us to do your exercises."

"Okay, Tenzin," she waved. "I'll be right there." She looked back at Asami. "Want to come with?"

"Actually," she began to unroll her sleeves. "I think I'm going to go look for Mako."

"Oh," and the elation in her chest evaporated as abruptly as it had appeared. "Okay. Well, we're going to go see the new chief of police this afternoon, if you want to go into the city."

Asami glanced at the arena floor, then up again and Korra couldn't help wondering at how expressive the woman's eyes could be. She could see every detail in Asami's jade gaze and still be left wondering about what secrets she was keeping behind it. "I'd like to... but there would be a lot of reporters around and I'm sure the papers are just _dying_ for an interview with the terrorist's daughter."

Korra tilted her head to the side. "Asami," but the heiress lifted a hand to stall her.

"It's okay. I'll have to deal with it at some point, but just not today." She pursed her lips into a small line and sighed through her nose, then nodded grimly to her. "Good-luck on your training, I'll see you this evening?"

"Yeah. See you this evening."

And with that Asami turned back towards the air temple and Korra took off at a jog to meet with Tenzin, even if her head didn't feel any clearer than before.

* * *

Nights on Air Temple Island were a strange blend of tranquil peace and absolute dreadfulness. Asami was grateful for the hospitality of the acolytes and Tenzin's family, and she truly admired the simplicity of the lifestyle on the island, but the cot beds were going to be the death of her. She lay on the mat of her bed and rolled to her side for the umpteenth time in some attempt to find a comfortable position but to no avail. It wasn't just the bed which kept her awake either, it was also to do with the fact that laying in bed was when she liked to think and she couldn't exactly follow her thoughts through with so much stiff pressure on her joints.

What she wanted was to replay the events of that night: her and the boys and Korra ramping through the streets of Republic City at top speed after Equalist fugitives. She wanted to recreate and taste again the satisfaction of wrapping her gloved fist around the masked man attacking her boyfriend, of sending a rippling surge of electricity through him as if he were Amon himself. Spirits, she would give anything to have such a chance.

Wasn't it Amon, after all, who poisoned her father's mind and heart? He had looked for and found a broken man and then had fed him foulness until he would lie to his own daughter, abandoning her and the company he built to go and-

She slapped her hand against the cot and sat up abruptly, letting out a soft 'hmm'. She wasn't going to get any sleep this way. The heiress collected her slippers and then pulled a red silk robe over her shoulders before going to the door, feeling calmer already. She didn't like to loose her temper, and she rarely ever did. Tonight had been exhilarating and, for her at least, a large step towards feeling vindicated towards her father... but she wasn't there yet. She wouldn't have peace in her life until she could stop him from hurting more people.

The engineer slid the door open and stepped out into the hall, finding the women's dormitories to be dark and quiet this late at night. She and the rest of the new 'Team Avatar' had only gotten back from the city an hour or so ago, after all, and it was after midnight by then. She turned left in the direction of the sitting room, knowing that there would be water to drink and books to read in there but in the silence of the hall she thought that she heard something strange. From a room ahead of her there was a sharp and sudden gasp and the shuffle of furniture.

Unsure why, she felt immediately on the defensive. Perhaps it was the night spent chasing Equalists or maybe she was still on edge from that awful event in the tunnel, but she felt wary as she crept down the hall towards the sound. She neared a door, recognizing it as Korra's, and felt her blood run colder. There was a sliver of the screen left open, likely by mistake and she resisted the sensation of feeling like a snoop as she glanced in to see... Korra, just Korra.

The Avatar was seated on the edge of her bed in her faded pajamas, feet planted on the floor and panting softly, a hand over her forehead. Even from a distance, Asami could see that she was in tears.

She felt shocked. Asami had seen Korra upset before, she'd heard her at what she thought was some of her worst but she didn't think it was entirely possible for that strong, stalwart woman to actually break into tears. Immediately, Asami knew what she was going to do.

"Korra," she called gently from the hall, startling the girl through the screen. "It's me. Can I come in?"

She could see Korra busily wiping her cheeks. "Asami," she cleared her throat. "What are you doing up?"

She wet her lips, wanting to spare Korra the embarrassment of having been caught crying. "I was just getting some water and thought I heard you up. Can I come in?"

"...Yeah," came the reply and she saw Korra straighten and clear her throat while the heiress slid the door open and stepped inside, closing it again behind her. She looked up to see her watching her with a strange expression.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

Korra snorted and rubbed at her forehead. "I just had a... messed up dream..." she looked down at her fists in her lap. "It's pretty stupid."

Asami tugged her bottom lip between her teeth a moment in indecision, then moved to take a seat beside Korra on the bed. Was it her imagination, or did Korra tense when she came closer?

"It must not be, if it got under your skin. Do you want to tell me about it?"

Korra wasn't looking at her, and in the silver light falling through the open window her profile was lined in distinct white. Asami could clearly see every curve and dent of her mouth and the glimmer reflected in her water-blue eyes. She found herself marveling that the spirit of the Avatar had been reincarnated in such a beauty.

"Ever since I met Amon face to face, I've been dreaming about him. I just..." her shoulders slumped and Asami had to refocus on what it was Korra was saying, rather than stupidly admiring her. "He's out there, plotting to take away people's bending and it feels like I'm just avoiding him because I'm afraid he'll take away -my- bending." She looked up at the heiress then, and her features were utterly open to her. "He said it himself; If I don't have my bending, then I'm nothing."

Asami frowned back at her. "That's not true," she insisted vehemently. "Bending doesn't make you the Avatar, Korra. And it doesn't make you the strong, passionate person others look up to or admire. Bending is what you do, its not who you are." She stopped when she saw the struck look on Korra's face, realizing that maybe she was saying too much. She just couldn't stand to see the girl depreciate herself this way. "If Amon -did- get to you and take away your bending, you'd still be Korra. Just..." she waved her hand side to side. "A Korra with more free time."

The Water Tribe girl continued to stare at her in shock, and then suddenly she gave a soggy laugh and lifted her fists to her eyes to wipe them clear. Asami chuckled, watching her relax.

"Yeah," she said. "A lot more free time."

They were both quiet then for a long moment, trying to not look directly at one another until Asami sighed. "It's really late, you should try to go back to sleep."

"What about you? Or are genius engineers allowed to be night owls?"

"Well..." she trailed, easily accepting the 'genius' comment. "I haven't been sleeping very well either. It's so quiet here, and there's a lot to think about when it's silent," she added softly.

Korra tilted her head, and the engineer felt that she was being examined. "Do you want to talk about it?"

She smiled but looked away. "Not really. I think that I'm just feeling a little lonely."

The Water Tribe girl was still looking at her, and she could almost feel those water blue eyes outlining her. Oddly, she liked it. Korra surprised her from the quiet however when she shuffled backwards on her bed and said, "You could sleep in here, if you want."

Asami blinked at her. It was such an innocent offer, but it made her insides coil with... excitement?

"Unless that's weird," she amended and Asami realized she must have not reacted correctly.

"No, no. It's not weird."

Korra swallowed and laid down on the far side of the cot, facing Asami, who slowly shifted to lay down as well. She kept her robe on but kicked off her slippers as she settled under the blanket next to the Avatar. Despite the open window and the damn cold coming in (Water Tribe girls, honestly) it was warm with Korra under the covers. Even when she was getting ready for sleep, the Avatar was strumming with energy it seemed.

Asami made herself comfortable, or as comfortable as she could get on the flat cot, and glanced up at Korra to see the other girl giving her that strange look again.

"What is it?" She whispered, feeling a quivering in her stomach.

Korra started. "Nothing," she responded immediately and then squeezed her eyes shut. "Night."

"...Night, Korra," she returned. Asami didn't fall asleep for a long time however, though she was able to think her way into dreams. She hardly realized when she did so that she was toying a tendril of Korra's dark brown hair between her fingers as she drifted gently off.


	6. Chapter 6

Korra walked from the temple training area the next morning swinging her shoulders to loosen the worn muscles. She'd gotten up especially early to do her calisthenics workout and then gone straight on to meet with Tenzin for her forms. She'd even accosted Bolin and managed some earthbending sparring and by now she was feeling pretty even, despite having woken up in bed with Asami sleeping peacefully beside her.

That had been an especially confusing moment for Korra. Her immediate reaction to seeing Asami so close had been to reach out and touch her, an instinct which she had bit down ferociously as she clambered carefully out of her bed without making contact. She didn't understand why she kept craving Asami's attention, or her company, and apparently now her touch but as long as she could pick up and run then she wouldn't have to scrutinize these thoughts too seriously.

As she walked towards the dining hall she was a little surprised to see the last person she wanted to think about kneeling by the temple courtyard in front of a half exposed moped. Asami was in her shop outfit once more, hair pulled back into a clip, and determinedly adjusting some internal mechanism which Korra couldn't make out. She hesitated a moment, and then strolled over.

"Did you just build a moped?" She asked, mock-incredulous.

Asami looked up through her hair at her and huffed. "Pema had this laying around," she answered, still working a bolt. "It doesn't run but she asked if I could take a look at it. I think she's starting to have real trouble waddling around the island."

Korra snorted at the term 'waddle'. "Can you fix it?" In answer, Asami sort of tilted her chin to look up at Korra, who found herself grinning back. She knelt down beside the engineer. "Do you need any help?" She was glad that Asami didn't seem inclined to bring up the night before or that morning. She had been a little anxious that her sneaking out of her own bedroom would have made her appear somehow guilty to the engineer.

Asami shook her head, looking crossly at the machine. "No, I think I can manage my way around a four year old moped... even if it isn't Future Industries forward. These Cabbage Corp machines are just real pieces of..." there was a clinking noise from inside the mechanism Asami was working on and her eyes narrowed, lips pursed. "... Hand me that mini ratchet?"

Korra looked down at the toolkit nearby and stared from one metal oblong piece to another. She grabbed one by chance and held it up hopefully but Asami just sighed at her. "That's a wrench. You're such a girl... " she reached over Korra's lap and grabbed the piece that she was looking for, then held it up for Korra to see. "Ratchet." She explained simply and then looked back at the moped.

Korra rolled her eyes. Asami was such a manually focused person. It was funny to see her switch back and forth between her thoughtful, considerate nature to her more analytical engineering side. "Okay, ratchet. So what are you doing with the ratchet?"

Asami leaned back to give Korra a line of sight into the little engine. She pointed to a series of holes. "Tightening these spark-plugs," she answered, attaching the necessary extension to the ratchet.

"How do you know how to do all of this stuff?"

Asami shrugged. "Well, having a mechanical engineer for a dad helps. Didn't you learn waterbending from your parents?"

"Yeah, my dad taught me... until I got better than him." She smiled at the thought, and felt a flash of homesickness. "It was a really good way for him and me to bond actually."

"Exactly."

Korra looked back up at her and felt her face tighten. It seemed like she kept walking thoughtlessly on Asami's wounds. "Sorry."

"Stop apologizing to me all the time," she ordered with a laugh, which put Korra slightly more at ease. "Those were good memories with my dad... until I got better than him." She met Korra's eye and they both grinned. "Now, it's something that I do for me."

Korra watched her twist several pieces into place and then look up and down at the machine, her brow just slightly furrowed. "...You're thinking of how you can make this thing go faster, aren't you?"

She arched a brow, unashamed. "You know me too well, Avatar."

That made Korra's chest feel warm again. "I'd ask how you'd do that, but then you would have to walk me through all of it. I don't know anything about engines really."

"That's okay, a lot of people don't," she shrugged as she worked. "At least you're interested. Mako just sort of zones off when I try to talk about this sort of thing."

They grew quiet a moment as Korra watched Asami at work and debated whether she should ask the question on her mind. Finally it sort of fell out of her mouth. "What do you and Mako talk about?"

She switched out tools for something else. "You know Mako, he's not exactly chatty. But he's a good listener, and I like that. I'd rather be with someone who didn't have much to say but listens to me than with someone who has -too- much to say and doesn't care about what I think."

"I care about what you think." It came out automatically and it wasn't until it was sitting in the air between them that Korra realized the implication of her saying such a thing. She was suddenly very sure that she could have melted into the stone foundation and been perfectly happy there.

A small smile played on Asami's lips however as she continued to fiddle with the moped. She finished tightening something off and then closed the compartment and started to stand, offering a hand down to help Korra up as well. She took the gesture as sign that Asami wasn't offended, at least.

"So," the heiress arched a brow again. "Do you want to take it for a test run with me?"

Korra looked from her to the little machine. "It only has one seat."

"You can stand on the foot rest and hold on to me," she suggested, pulling her goggles out of her pocket and slipping them over her face. She straddled the moped and revved the starter. There was a soft screeching and then the engine rumbled awake. She tested the accelerator and looked back at Korra's trepidation with a wicked grin. "What's the matter, I thought you weren't exactly fragile."

Korra harrumphed at the challenge and swung her leg over the seat, standing up with her hands gripping Asami's shoulders for balance. "Just try to keep us on the island. I don't want to have to explain to Pema that you drove her moped into the bay."

"Oh, we could always just blame it on the airbender kids," she returned primly and they both laughed as she started the moped down the platform.

* * *

"So, I heard that you two really annihilated that moped today," Bolin mentioned slyly from the backseat of Asami's satomobile as Team Avatar coasted through Republic City that night. Asami glanced in her rear view mirror at Korra, who was sitting next to the earthbender. Both women cleared their throats, sheepishly.

"Well..." Korra started but with no real direction.

"It was a Cabbage Corp. moped. They're made very cheaply," Asami finished and lifted her chin so as to avoid the looks from the rest of the riders in her car.

Bolin's smirk reached across his features. "Riiiiiight. The whole 'driving it full speed down a hill and over a ramp' was all about the manufacturer."

"Hey, we landed that jump." Korra pointed out.

"Just... not as well as we would have on a satomoped." Asami added.

Mako, seated next to his girlfriend in the front seat, sighed tightly. "You two are getting to be dangerous together. I see the way you edge one another on. You're both too competitive."

Asami rolled her eyes, taking a left down a nearly deserted straight-away. It was after dark and the streets were clearing, while pedestrians were filling the lantern-lit sidewalks between growing snow drifts. Even after the minor crash that afternoon, it felt good to be driving. She felt like herself with a wheel in her hands and not even her handsome but austere boyfriend could spoil that.

They were simply cruising the city at this time of night, much as they had been the night before, listening to the police radio for anything of interest. If the new chief of police wasn't going to do something real about the Equalists problem, they would. They were the new Team Avatar, after all. Asami was self aware enough to realize that she was grasping for a diversion from her sense of powerlessness, but so was Korra and if they could do that together then why not? They had the means and the initiative, at least.

At a coming redlight they slowed and Asami's superbly designed engine purred at idle. Suddenly Bolin cried out with excitement, "Ooooh a girly show!"

Asami glanced to her left where he was pointing and felt a little startled. She hadn't realized that she'd turned them down the red district. In a club window across the street, two women were dressed in the shortest flapper skirts she'd ever seen, falling somewhere at their mid thigh. The dresses squeezed around the women's waists and busts and they were holding hands, waving at the crowd of men who were gathering nearby. The women were cooing at the men on the other side of the glass then pointing to the adjacent door into the nightclub, obviously promising patrons more to see once they were inside. To seal the deal, they would look at one another, giggle, and kiss.

Without meaning to, Asami's eyes flicked to her rearview mirror and found Korra, who was staring across the street with her eyebrows raised clear to her hairline. It made Asami uncomfortable for some reason.

"Oh, they're so sweet," Bolin was fawning over his door, almost ready to topple out of the car.

"What... what's a girly show?" Korra asked slowly, still looking across the street.

"It's one of the most beautiful things in the world," Bolin sighed. "Two women. Getting frisky together."

The women across the street were beginning to caress hands down necklines, encouraging the men on the street with their open affection and as soon as the light hit green Asami was ready to floor them away from the corner, leaving Bolin to squeal in surprise as they sped off.

"Get 'frisky'?" Korra repeated. Her cheeks were just about apple-red.

"They're lesbians, Korra," Asami explained to the mirror but this didn't seem to make it much clearer to the Water Tribe girl. "Women who sleep with other women." An image appeared in Asami's mind of Korra laying next to her in bed, slumbering with her hand laid over her stomach, warm and serene and she bit her bottom lip.

"Oh."

"What's wrong?" Bolin turned to Korra. "Don't they have girly shows in the South Pole?"

Korra looked back at him, clueless for a moment. "No. I've never even heard the word 'lesbians' before now."

"It's not as uncommon as you may think," Asami expounded patiently. "Have you ever met anyone whose lived alone with their same gender for a long time?"

"No, not really. I mean there's the Fai sisters in my mom's village but they aren't really sisters. They're just really good friends-" she stopped as Bolin stared at her, a coy smile at the corner of his lip. Korra gasped, incredulous.

"But, they're not sleeping together. I mean, thats... no way."

"But how would you knooow?" Bolin asked, eyebrows waggling.

"Bolin, shut up." Mako ordered over his shoulder.

"Why? Why is everyone getting weird?"

"Because those women are fucking weird," he declared. "It's supposed to be men with women, not women with women or men with men. It's not normal."

Asami saw Korra in the mirror again and the Avatar was looking down at her lap, lips pulled in a grim line. The heiress found herself hearing Korra's worry from the night before: _'You can sleep in here if you want. Unless that's weird'_. She cut her gaze back at the firebender. "Mako." She warned.

"What? You can't think that's all right."

"I do, actually," she responded, surprising herself. "I don't think there's anything wrong with two people loving each other. Everyone deserves to be happy."

"Yeah, Mako," Bolin stuck his tongue out at his older brother. "So quit trying to spoil my happiness and let me off at that last corner."

"Bolin, that's crass," Asami rounded on him next. "I don't think that women should be a sideshow for hornball teenage boys either."

"What? Me? But you and Mako..."

Asami slammed her foot into the gas, tearing another surprised cry out of Bolin as the acceleration threw him back in his seat. When she came to a stop again she saw that Korra was looking determinedly out of her side of the car and had managed to shrink herself into her seat. Asami was so furious at Bolin and Mako too that she considered throwing them both out of her car.

"Oh hey, Ming's Ice-cream is still open," Bolin pointed to a lit sign down another street and Asami glanced back at Korra.

"Hey, you want to get a soda pop or something?"

"Yeah, sure," the Avatar shrugged, not looking at her.

"Um, yes, yes I would," Bolin cut in and Mako nodded as well.

"I could go for an ice-cream."

She turned the car and pulled up to the shop and all teenagers pilled out. She tried to catch Korra's eye as they filtered into the shop but the Avatar was keeping her distance and for some reason, Asami couldn't help but to feel like she'd done something wrong. She just wasn't sure what.

* * *

When the call had come in on the radio about an armed Equalist uprising, they had expected the worst and Korra had been fully prepared for a fight. What she was not prepared for was a fight against the opposite side.

The people on the street weren't Equalist protestors, to begin with. They were citizens and they were cold. Snow was already starting to fall and -someone- had cut off the power to this nonbending neighborhood. Families were being forced to huddle in single rooms with all available blankets for warmth and there were children living in those buildings. Korra didn't understand what Tarlokk thought he was up to, but she wasn't allowing it.

"You're our Avatar too!" A woman called to her from across the police line and Korra felt that plea sink into her very bones. It was true; defending the rights of the people was as much her duty as fighting back terrorists.

Korra lifted her hands, chin up. "Everyone!" She announced clearly. "Remain calm, I'm going to fix this. Just, stay where you are for a minute."

She turned and felt her temper light as she stomped to the police tent where she knew she'd find Tarlokk.

"What are you doing?" She demanded without preamble. "These people aren't Equalists."

"They're not even armed!" Asami pointed out from her shoulder. Korra had been so focused on Tarlokk that she hadn't realized that her friend had come in with her, but she was glad that she had. It felt good to have the heiress at her back.

Tarlokk, dressed for a fight, turned to glower at the Avatar. "Those people," he pointed in the direction of the protest. "Are inciting a riot and I'm going to end it before it escalates." He looked past Korra at his squad. "Officers, round up all the nonbenders out past curfew."

Without waiting for further instruction, the metalbender police turned to the crowd and began to bend the steel police blockades, creating circular traps around the protesting groups. Another set of policemen stomped and bended the concrete upright, lifting the people to hover in the air.

"Stop!" Korra ordered, incensed, and swung out her arms then lowered them, using her earthbending to pull the upturned rock gently back into the ground. Once on the asphalt again, people started to slip away with cries of panic.

"You're under arrest," she heard Tarlokk order with a scoff but when she turned to challenge him she was stupefied to see that it was Asami he was pointing to. The Water Tribe man bent a stream of water from his satchel and then flung it at Asami, tightening it and then freezing it around her arm. Asami stared in shock from the ice encasing her hand to Tarlokk.

"What are you doing?!" Korra roared, fists clenched.

"This girl is a nonbender out after curfew, and her father is a known Equalist terrorist. No doubt, she is one too."

That was it; those were the words Asami had dreaded to hear ever since her father had been discovered a traitor and Korra could see the frightened defeat in her face. She looked from Tarlokk to Korra and her terror twisted into Korra's head so deeply that the corners of her vision were fading red.

"You can't do that!" Mako was shouting.

"Yeah, she didn't even do anything!" Bolin added.

"Arrest them too!" Tarlokk ordered while two other guards were placing handcuffs on Asami's wrists.

"TARLOKK!" Korra bellowed and without being fully aware of what she had done, she lifted two heaving slabs of concrete into the air beside her, her water-blue eyes burning into the Councilman. This piece of bureaucratic shit wasn't locking up her friends. He was not going to put her Asami in a cell.

Despite their orders, all officers stilled and looked at the Avatar. Even Tarlokk seemed to calm as he stared fastidiously back at Korra, though he was no less smug.

"Why don't you think very carefully about your next move, Avatar Korra," he suggested.

Asami and the others were being pulled towards the police wagon.

"Korra," Mako shouted over the pounding fury in her ears. "Don't do anything crazy, you'll just make things worse."

She glowered back at Tarlokk, taking deep, strained breaths.

"That's right," Tarlokk was agreeing. "Listen to your friend and put down your..." he looked at the hovering slabs. "Weapons."

She took another breath, and for some reason she found herself trying to find her spiritual center... the place Tenzin was always trying to lead her to. She didn't find it, but the meditative practice did leave her calm enough to lower the slabs. She let go of her earthbending and looked to the wagon, trying to find Asami. The heiress was seated between Mako and Bolin and looking back at her, tight-lipped.

"I'll get Tenzin," she promised. "We'll get this fixed!"

Mako nodded back to her but Asami looked away. Then the door shut closed and the wagon started off, taking her friends away from her.

* * *

 _Author Notes:_

 _Hi all, thanks for reading along and I hope you've enjoyed the story so far._

 _A few things,_

 _I do not know anything about mopeds or moped mechanics. So just pretend like everything I wrote about Asami working on one sounded totally legit and we'll all be happier._

 _As to the driving scene, I really wanted to make queer culture a little more clear in my take of this universe. For whatever reason, I wanted it to not be -totally- alien but to not be trending culture either. This idea of it being a sideshow or something which no one talked about seemed more tense to me and would explain why Korra would feel so conflicted over these feelings towards another woman. I'm certainly not trying to make a statement of my own; I'm just creating a mechanic in the story._

 _Next chapter we'll see how Asami deals with Korra's response to her arrest!_


	7. Chapter 7

Asami was laid back on the simple metal cot of her jail cell and finding she actually missed the beds at Air Temple Island. At least those cots included a mat and blanket and let starlight waft into the room on the sea breeze. And on the island, apparently, she had the possible chance to crawl into bed with Korra. Part of her had wondered if that would have been her situation that night if she hadn't been arrested at that ridiculous show of police authoritarianism and then she sighed wistfully, wondering what the hell was wrong with her to have her thoughts drifting that direction. Spending the night with Korra had been such a simple event and yet the memory of her close scent and gentle breathing was clinging to the corners of the engineer's mind.

The door to her cell swung unexpectedly open, tearing her from her musing, and she sat up at once to be further taken aback by seeing former police chief Beifong standing in the light of the hall. The older woman glowered into the cell at her, dressed in an overcoat and her police boots. Asami could only assume she wore the rest of her metal armor beneath the coat.

"I thought you could use a bailout," Lin said simply and stepped aside to let Asami out of the hold. The heiress grinned and took to her feet at once.

"Thanks... but aren't you ... off the force?"

"Consider this part of my severance. Come on, we'll get your boyfriends."

"I'm only dating one of them," Asami corrected as she followed the metalbender down the hall and then through a gate to the men's cells.

"I would hope so, but I don't care to keep up with which. Teenagers switch partners more often than shoes."

Asami lifted an eyebrow at that. She did seem to recall Korra telling her that Lin and Master Tenzin had been an item when they were younger and that she had lost him to another girl, so she supposed the chief was speaking from some experience.

"Did Tenzin send you?" She asked as they approached what she guessed was the boys' cell. The former chief rotated her wrist and bent the internal mechanism to open the door and then Asami found she was distracted by the flood of relief of seeing Mako and Bolin. She stepped into the cell and was in Mako's arms in a moment.

"H-Hey!" Bolin complained from the corner he was facing. "A _little_ privacy!"

"It pains me to break up your little reunion but we need to get moving," Lin said dryly from the doorway. They all turned their attention from one another back to the chief. "Korra's been kidnapped by Equalists and I don't trust Tarlokk to do what I know I can."

Asami felt her face flush with sudden cold, her stomach clenching emptily. Korra was kidnapped? What if they took her bending? That was Korra's greatest fear... oh Spirits. What if they were going to use her as some symbol? A lesson to the rest of Republic City. What if they just killed her? The thoughts flickered past her mind so quickly she barely registered what Mako and Lin were saying next.

"Lets get to Tenzin then," Mako agreed stoutly and they started out of the cell, but Asami felt like she were in a daze. This couldn't be happening. Korra had the protection of Tenzin, the White Lotus, and her own skills... she couldn't have just been taken by the Equalists.

She was following after the others as they made their way through the less-frequented halls of the police building, her mind working through any conceivable scenario in which Korra could have been overpowered and trying to avoid the nagging accusation that if she hadn't spent the night in jail then maybe she would have been there to help. Then a door swung open and they were in the light of the Republic City street. The fresh, early winter wind slammed into Asami's face, filing her lungs painfully and she was startled from her pensiveness. Her narrow brows knitted into a fine scowl. It didn't matter now how it had happened. Korra was in danger, and she was going to find her. Somehow.

* * *

It was actually impressive how quickly they'd worked their way into the labyrinth tunnel network beneath the city. Asami supposed that that had everything to do with having the former chief of police as the head of their search party and as far as she was concerned, Lin Beifong was practically showing off. She had an impressive skillset and a bloodhound's instincts for predicting her quarry's movements; she'd managed to take information from Bolin's brief capture by the Equalists several weeks ago along with other known reports to pinpoint an entry grate into the public works underworld. The city was certainly being robbed of a strong leader in Beifong's resignation.

Having Lin in their lead was the only thing keeping Asami's tension in check. All she could think about as they worked down into the tunnels was Korra sitting in some dank cell, tethered and powerless like a wild animal. It made her ache just to imagine her grinning, cinnamon-skinned girl locked away or possibly even wounded. She wouldn't even allow herself to foster the image of Korra dead.

The search party, which consisted of herself, Beifong, Tenzin, and the bending brothers were moving down one of the many service tunnels that wound beneath the city streets and when they came to a crossways she paused, fixating her attention away from Korra and back to her environment. She looked between the two black hatchways.

"Which way?"

"Pick one," Mako said at once, stomping down the left corridor.

She frowned at his back. "What if that's the wrong one, Mako," she challenged crossly. Mako had been making a fool of himself ever since he'd first learned that Korra had been taken. He kept demanding answers that no one had and running head-on after every trail. She hadn't seen him this wound up since her father's investigation.

"Then we pick another one," he answered over his shoulder then continued down the tunnel.

She scoffed, bewildered by his coolness. "Bolin," she sighed, looking to the other brother as they fell behind the group. "Do you know what's gotten into Mako? He's so... focused."

Bolin slowed to keep pace with her and shrugged. "He's just worried about Korra. We all are."

She didn't have to be told that. She was terrified for the Avatar, but making rash decisions wasn't going to help her find Korra any faster. She had good reason to put her faith in Lin's tracking, not in blind luck. Finding Korra was all she could think about and she was still managing to keep a cool head.

"I know that," she murmured tightly, not wanting her thoughts to be obvious. But there was something else to Mako today and it was beginning to give her a sickened feeling. "Bolin... does Mako have feelings for Korra?"

She didn't know why she asked the question, but suddenly the link between her boyfriend's determination and Korra's absence seemed clearer once it was voiced aloud. Was that it then? Mako had a crush on Korra... and did Korra still have feelings for him too? The thought alone made her queasy.

Bolin was taking a sudden, studious interest in the pipe lines above them. "Oh. Um. Psh. Naaaaah. I mean. There was that one time when they soooorta kinda kissed or whatever-"

"They kissed?" Asami stopped to look at him. Korra hadn't told her that. Mako, that asshole...

Bolin was throwing up his hands in a placating gesture. "It was just a tiny," he pinched his fingers together. "Tiny kiss. And believe you me, I was upset at the time too but it was way...way back and I really don't think it meant anything to anyone."

Beifong's words were ringing suddenly in her ears, 'Teenagers switch partners more often than shoes.' She started walking again, her jade eyes burning onto Mako's back.

"I seriously doubt that," she muttered.

* * *

They were floating above late-night Republic City on the wide, circular saddle of Tenzin's bison, Oogie, and Asami simply felt sick. It wasn't the height or motions of the creature, she actually found flying to be exhilarating and under normal circumstances a corner of her mind would have been using this experience to apply to a series of sketches for a new machine she had tucked away in her bedroom... but now all she could think of was Korra and how she'd failed to find her. The foray into the tunnels hadn't been completely in vain; they had successfully rescued several of Beifong's missing officers, but they had found no sign of Korra and worse, they'd learned that they had been duped. It wasn't the Equalists at all... it was that son-of-a-bitch Tarlokk. He'd lied to their faces and then actually _bloodbent_ them. That had been an ordeal which Asami could live happily without ever having to repeat again. The realization that he'd put Korra through the same torment was enough to make her clench her fists in silent rage.

Now, they were doing all they could at the moment, which was to scour the city for sign of Tarlokk's get-away but Asami was loosing her patience. She sat with her elbows on the saddle rim, looking agitatedly out at the gently glowing streets below them. She simply had to find Korra and when she did... she was going to admit to what was really happening in her head and in her heart as well. She would sit down and think about the bewildering emotions which were so close to bubbling right out of her chest that she may even have to give them all a name. But not yet. For now, she had no room for anything other than finding Korra.

A mournful, bestial peal broke through her thoughts and she sat up, trying to discern the direction it had come from.

"That's Naga!" Mako announced for all of them and Tenzin was already turning Oogie around towards the sound.

Asami was flicking her eyes between streets and narrow alleys and then she saw her, the white lumbering shape of Korra's polarbear-dog. "There!" She pointed and as they descended through the currents she could see a figure laying over the dog's saddle. Her heart leapt full into her throat when she realized it was Korra.

"Korra!" Mako cried out, leaping from Oogie's saddle before they had even entirely landed and then he was racing ahead of them to Naga, who turned wearily back to look at him. The girl on the beast's saddle didn't move.

Tenzin and Lin were both right behind Mako and all three were reaching for her, making demands but Asami hung back, a hand clenched to her chest. Korra wasn't moving and she didn't know how she would handle herself if she was dead. She found that she was holding her breath, trying to look between the group at Korra for any sign of life while Mako pulled the Avatar from the saddle and rested her against his shoulder. For a moment, Asami could see Korra's eyes creep open and catch Mako's, and then she smiled tiredly and closed them again.

Relief and anxiousness flooded through her at the sight. Korra was going to be okay... they'd found her.. but the way that she and Mako looked at one another hadn't escaped her notice. Watching him walk past with the Avatar cradled in his arms, Asami had never known this sort of jealousy but she knew that it wasn't because of the way he looked at the Water Tribe girl. It was the way that Korra snuggled back against him which had filled Asami with dread.

* * *

 _Author's Note:_

 _"Air Temple Island : it's better than jail."_

 _Next chapter Asami realizes just how much Korra's capture affected her boyfriend, and her as well._


	8. Chapter 8

Korra slept soundly, comfortable in the quilt of her own bed and mindless to the havoc which was rocking through the city in the wake of Tarlokk's fall from grace. Safely on Air Temple Island, there was nothing but the cold breeze through the sweeping eaves to rustle her from slumber and when she finally did open her eyes, it was many hours after her rescue.

Korra's capture and imprisonment had been harder on her mentally than physically. Though her fight with Tarlokk had left wounds, these paled compared to nearly twenty four hours trapped in a platinum box without food, water, or chance to a bathroom. The experience _did_ have the unexpected consequence of forcing the Avatar to rely on her meditation practices though, simply for the sake of her sanity while confined and in so doing she'd finally made a breakthrough that she'd been waiting for for years. She'd seen Aang.

It wasn't as fulfilling as actually being able to speak with her former incarnation, but even witnessing a day of a life through Aang's eyes had filled her with hope. The soul of Aang was there, inside of her, and she did have it in her to spiritually connect to him. For the first time in her life, Korra knew that she _would_ one day be able to commune with the only person in all the world who could advise her on her path to becoming the Avatar and that was a strength of its own.

Stirring in her bed, Korra cleared her throat and blue eyes fluttered open to look around her room. She exhaled soundly, relieved to see that her escape from Tarlokk's box had not been a dream; she'd made it home after all.

When she tilted her chin around however she was surprised to see that Mako was seated beside her bed, a hand clasped around hers. She peered groggily from their linked hands to his bowed head and saw that he was frowning in his pensiveness.

"Hey," she squeezed her fingers around the firebender's to alert him and he looked up at once, features opening with his relief.

"Hey!" He bent forward, bouncing some in is seat. "You're awake. How are you feeling?"

She thought about it, wiggling her fingers and toes and then mentally checking her stomach. "Starving," she answered and grinned crookedly at him. The mark on her cheek still smarted some. She realized that he was still holding her hand and she surreptitiously dropped his as she shifted upright against her headboard, noticing the door as she did. It was just slightly open and Asami was standing there, half looming in the hall. The heiress didn't make a sound, but once their eyes met she smiled so somberly at her that Korra wondered if something tragic had happened. It took her a moment to realize the tragedy was probably her being captured.

"Asami," she called to the other woman and, addressed, Asami entered the room. Korra could see at once that something was wrong. The heiress didn't quite meet her eyes across the bedroom and her posture was tight, her arms wrapped around herself as if for protection... but from what? She moved to stand at the foot of Korra's bed and gave her another tight smile.

"You've been out for a while," she noted and Korra felt cut by the strained dispassion in her tone.

"I feel like I have," she agreed with a slight shrug and then winced.

"Are you in pain?" Mako asked quickly, studying her but she shook her head.

"No, just a little sore. I'm fine Mako, really."

"Well, I'll get you some soup then," he decided suddenly and stood up as if he'd had springs on is bottom half.

Korra would have declined but actually, soup sounded terrific. She gave him another lopsided grin. "Okay, great. Thanks Mako."

He smiled grimly at her and then, as if an afterthought, gave Asami a short nod then turned to leave the room, closing the door behind him. Korra pressed her lips together and looked from the doorway to Asami, who was still glancing anywhere -but- at the Avatar.

"Are you... mad at me?" She asked after several more moments of uncomfortable silence and Asami swiveled her gaze to her. She opened her mouth, closed it, opened it again and then shook her head.

"No, Korra," she said and came around the bed, moving to sit on the edge near Korra's hand. "I'm not mad at you. I'm... I'm a hundred things right now but not mad at you." She lifted a hand into her own hair to tease it out of her eyes some and Korra hated how such a small gesture could make her stomach flip.

"All right..." she said slowly, still trying to discern what machinations were turning behind those poignant jade eyes. "What... _are_ you then?"

Asami looked away for several moments, lips in a tight line. "Mostly, I'm just so glad you're okay," she answered, confusing Korra all the more.

"You can't look at me and tell me that?" She ventured and Asami chuckled softly.

She turned her eyes on the Avatar, and Korra could see how tense she still was. "I'm really glad you're okay, Korra..." her voice broke slightly and she looked away again, shifting on the bed. "You just had me so worried." Suddenly her gaze swept up, and her brows were drawn together almost angrily. It was a frighteningly quick transformation. "Don't ever do that to me again. Don't go off on your own to be the Hero Avatar and leave me worrying about you. All right?"

Korra stared at her and then gave a nervous chuckle. "But, Asami, I _am_ the Avatar."

"That's no reason to go off by yourself. Not when you have so many people to help you."

"You were in jail," she pointed out and Asami opened her mouth and then sighed instead, pouting.

"I remember."

Korra chuckled again, easier this time, and Asami tilted her head to gaze at her with a reluctant smile. The Water Tribe girl sat up properly, leaning towards the other woman. "I'm sorry, Asami," she said lowly and then was taken by surprise when the heiress surged suddenly forward, arms wrapping around Korra's back and her chin tucking over her shoulder. She'd pulled Korra into the embrace so quickly she almost felt trapped and for a moment all she could do was stare around her in surprise... and then she relaxed and pulled her arms tightly around Asami. Her black hair was full and soft on her cheek and Korra simply inhaled the clean perfume of the other woman, treasuring the sensation.

She squeezed Asami and enjoyed how strong it made her feel to simply have her in her arms, and at how easily they wrapped around one another. Asami clung at her so tightly that it was strangely securing, as if they could easily remain this way indefinitely in mutual contentment. Neither seemed eager to break the touch, and Korra eventually realized that they must have been holding one another in the stillness of her room for quite a while. She cleared her throat.

"Are we...all right?" She was surprised by how husky her voice sounded.

Asami nodded. "We're fine," she promised and then gently parted from her. Korra was immediately sorry that she'd said anything at all, not wanting to be left without the heiress's closeness but then she was given another surprise.

As Asami withdrew, she paused and pressed her painted lips to the Avatar's cheek in a gesture that was almost as unexpected as the hug had been. Korra closed her eyes at once, needing to savor the heat of her affection and when she pulled away again Korra followed. Before Asami could look at her, she returned the kiss, landing her lips to her cheek and holding there for several counts of the blood drumming in her ears. She could hear Asami's little intake of breath and she was reluctant to break the simple touch but she knew that she had to. The two women withdrew from one another and the air that mingled between them as they met eyes was fetid with their confusion and their fear.

Korra's gaze fell from Asami's to her poised mouth, and then she was drifting forward again by inches at a time. She thought, or perhaps she imagined that Asami was shifting closer to her as well but then a sound someplace distant sent a warning shiver down her spine.

"Wait," she whispered, not certain of what, if anything, she was attempting to pause. Asami's eyes lit upon hers and there was a moment of panic flashing there. "Someone's coming," she finished and she saw the heiress relax. Korra swallowed and leaned to be sitting upright again just as the screen door slid open and Mako walked into the room, a tray between his hands.

"Sorry that took so long," he muttered as he approached the bed. "Meelo wanted to fight me for the tray..." he frowned at them. "Are you guys all right?"

Korra realized that she must have been blushing again since she could see the color burning on Asami's cheeks. She nodded her head at once and tossed Mako a reassuring smile. "Yeah, we were just talking."

Mako turned to his girlfriend, his brow worried, but she waved him off. "Girl things," she explained simply and he seemed appeased by that. He retook his earlier seat, bringing the tray to Korra's bedside table and though her stomach warbled angrily at the prospect of a meal, she found she could barely think about food. Her thoughts were entirely focused on the woman so close that she could touch her, but she dared not to. Asami, for her part, was back to not looking at Korra and she didn't give the Avatar a chance to discover if she'd done something wrong. The heiress stood up, wordlessly, and moved to the doorway but she paused at the threshold and looked back at her, her black curls obscuring half of the smile she gave to Korra. It was all the Avatar could do to not get up and walk after Asami in light of that simple signal, but Mako was pouring soup into a bowl for her now and talking about his trip into an underground tunnel or something and then Asami was gone.


	9. Chapter 9

Asami stood in the kitchen with Pema, busily scrubbing the breakfast dishes as way of distraction while her thoughts drifted. It had been only a day since they'd found Korra, and the Avatar had been thankfully quick to heal. That morning, she was already up and eating with the rest of the temple with vigorous appetite, which should have put Asami's final concerns at rest... but she felt no less anxious than she had two days ago. The reasons now were considerably different and had almost everything to do with the way her boyfriend had spent the past day dotting on Korra, and how Korra hadn't seemed to mind the attention at all.

Despite their... moment, yesterday afternoon, or perhaps because of it, Asami was finding herself more bewildered by her feelings than ever. She had made an attempt to follow through with her private promise to give these emotions due analysis once she knew that Korra was safe, but the night before she'd stayed up as late as possible playing games with Bolin and the airbender kids until she was too sleepy to think once she finally landed in her bed. She'd done it on purpose, of course. She hadn't wanted to find herself in Korra's room, where Mako was keeping diligent guard, and for once she had not wanted to spend a night alone with her thoughts. In the light of day however, those inkling doubts were still present... simply hanging from the corners of her mind's eye.

She sighed aloud and took another pan from the water basin to dry. She was jealous of Mako and Korra, she could admit that. But was it because she wanted Mako, or because she wanted Korra? Laying in bed beside Korra, laughing with her through the airgates, holding her close enough to smell her skin... Asami felt a shadow of the fluttering which the Avatar's grin always filled her with and she blinked, realizing her answer. She wanted Korra.

The moment it was admitted, it was as if a floodgate had been unleashed someplace in her heart. She wanted Korra; she perhaps had even been falling in love with her... maybe from the moment she'd caught her eye across the crowd at the gala those weeks ago. She respected and admired her, she felt simultaneously calm and giddy in her presence, and when the girl had been missing Asami had felt like a part of her was missing too. She wanted Korra.

Well, shit. What did that mean then? Was she like the women on the red district corner? How long had she felt this way? Had there been others? Did she think that Korra wou-

Her mental interview was interrupted by Pema's sudden groan of discomfort and she saw the woman bend over with a hand to her swollen belly.

"Pema!" She reached for the other woman. "Are you all right? Is it the baby?"

Pema gave her a strained, reassuring shake of her head. "It's fine, he's just kicking a little harder than usual."

"Should I get Tenzin?"

The woman shook her head again. "No, no. Really, I'll be fine."

Asami wasn't convinced, but Mako appeared at the doorway before she could insist.

"Hey, I need hot water for Korra's tea," he demanded gruffly and Asami felt her ire trickle down her chest.

She straightened and didn't bother to look at him as she responded, "You're a firebender. Boil it yourself." The last thing that she needed right now was to have to deal with her conflicted feelings for Mako too, or be reminded of the way he had been fawning over Korra ever since her return.

Pema looked between the engineer and her boyfriend and then cleared her throat. "I think I'm going to go lay down and give you two a chance to talk. Asami, do you mind finishing up the dishes?"

"No, of course not," she promised more gently and gave Pema an encouraging smile. The older woman patted her shoulder and waddled past, leaving her and Mako alone in the kitchen.

Mako looked from Pema to Asami. "Is there something we need to talk about?"

"I don't know," she retorted, grabbing a dish to scrub but she sighed at once at herself. She didn't want to act this way, not towards Mako. He was being sort of an ass at the moment, but she didn't need to talk down to the boy. She took a step from the water basin to look at him properly and decided to admit why she was most angry at him. "I know that you kissed Korra."

Mako's scowl lifted upright as he looked back at her in surprise. "...Oh. Did Bolin tell you? That big-mouthed-"

"Don't blame your _brother_ for what you did, Mako," she cut him off, disappointed by his childishness. "And I see the way that you've acted towards her the past few days."

"Asami," he took a step towards her but she held up a hand to stall him. It was hard to define precisely what she was experiencing towards Mako at the moment, but she did _not_ want his embrace. He saw her recoil and sighed, unhappily. "I've just been worried about her is all."

"Look, I _like_ Korra," an understatement but he didn't need to know that. "This isn't about either of us being worried for her, it's about -you- having feelings for her."

He rubbed his forehead, frustrated and unintentionally revealing how correct she was. Mako wasn't much of a liar and he didn't try to be. Asami meanwhile didn't know what to think now about what this meant for her and the firebender. Had they just gone from being a couple to being... rivals? The more that she thought about it, the more she realized that she was feeling so aggressive towards him because he could very well start pursuing Korra.

"Asami, things are just really confusing right now. Can we please wait until this situation with Amon has quieted down some to talk about our relationship stuff?"

She scoffed and dropped the pan she was holding, letting it plop into the water. He was -really- going to try and pretend that they had a relationship after that? She would rather have him just be willing to be straightforward with her and hurt her than play some sort of hero card again. "We may not -have- a relationship to talk about," she fumed as she walked past him towards the hallway.

Not only had her boyfriend fallen for another woman right in front of her, but she had too and for the same woman. This was already the most convoluted, complicated-

"Hey..." Korra stood in a doorway of the lounge, just outside of the kitchen door, and looked up at her guiltily through her messy bangs. Asami halted, staring at her and then glancing over her shoulder towards the kitchen, then back to the Avatar.

"...How much of that did you hear?"

"Like, most of it," she looked down a moment then flicked her blue eyes back to Asami. "Do you want to go for a walk?"

"Yes." She answered at once and wordlessly the two walked side by side down the hall and then into the crisp, gray morning air.

Korra was wearing her blue Water Tribe hood and had her hands in her pockets as usual, and Asami started to roll down the sleeves of her double-breasted half coat. They didn't speak or look at one another as they meandered down a set of stairs behind the temple, moving with like-minded focus towards a timber pavilion.

Finally, Korra broke the silence. "Don't break up with Mako because of me," she pleaded and Asami looked at her, taken aback. Korra gave her an apologetic smile. "There's nothing between him and me, I told you that. He's just being a good friend."

Asami sighed a little and shook her head. "He's not. But that isn't the only reason that I need to break up with him."

"It's not?"

"No." They moved down along a gravel path and the sea breeze picked up, making a billowing mess of Asami's curls. She sighed aloud, determined to say what was sitting on her tongue and take control of this confusing situation. She simply -had- to get the words out before they made her nauseous. "The truth of the matter is that I have feelings for someone else too."

"Oh." Was it Asami's imagination, or did Korra sound disappointed? There was a slight pause as they ambled up the pavilion steps. "Is it B-"

"It's not Bolin."

"Oh." They moved to stand at the railing, which offered a view of the open ocean and Asami stared hard at the line of the horizon where the colors between sea and sky blended so finely it was difficult to tell which began where.

"Korra..." she started and swallowed. She felt so nervous, but she knew that she couldn't keep these things secreted away. It had been easy enough to hide them from herself, but with Korra she felt so transparent. If she didn't say it now then it would only burst out of her in some more obvious and less elegant way later. She looked to the Water Tribe girl and forced herself to meet her blue gaze. "Korra."

Korra was looking directly back at her, full of some rippling tension which Asami couldn't understand, and then she was lifting towards her, clasping her cheeks in her hands and touching her lips to Asami's. Her jade eyes shut at once, wanting to close off all senses so that she could simply absorb this moment when the Avatar kissed her, when she wrapped her hands gently around the other woman's waist and held to her by fingertips and lips in the morning breeze. Her heart beat was thundering in her throat, hard enough to nearly choke her as she moved against Korra and felt the other woman lift hands into her dark hair and then she parted her lips to drive fuller against Korra's more inexperienced mouth. She'd never known a kiss to be so soft.

Slowly they parted by a breath and she could see her reflection in the Avatar's bright eyes. "I just had to. " Korra murmured.

"Me too," she assured and leaned her smile back into Korra's lips to kiss her again. This time they were both prepared and her hands moved higher up the woman's back, clutching her firm while her tongue probed outwards to tempt at Korra's. At her first motion, she felt the other girl gasp with astonish but then she was met with Korra's own need to explore. Small sighs slipped from the space between them as they embraced, both thrilled to realize their repressed desire in the other and Asami was beginning to loose track of time and reason as their mouths became an ebb and flow against one another behind the privacy of the trellis.

Gently they parted once more, grinning and blushing. Asami cleared her throat and pressed her forehead into Korra's. "That's why I need to break up with Mako."

"It's a good reason," Korra agreed and nuzzled her affectionately. "Asami -" a dull thud sounded from someplace distant and they both looked around, confused until it sounded again from the other side of the temple. Something about the bursting noise that followed was familiar to Asami as she looked for the source. She felt Korra slip from her arms.

"Is that... fireworks?" She trailed, the warmth from their touching fading into a cool sickness in her stomach as the thudding continued.

"I don't think so," Korra muttered and ran suddenly for the temple, Asami close at her heels. They tore through the dining hall, nearly colliding with Mako and Bolin in the lounge as the brothers were also making for the front door. The four piled out into the courtyard to see Tenzin and Lin Beifong standing rod-straight and staring in the direction of Republic City, and even from that distance Asami could see the black airships which hovered over the buildings and the columns of smoke wafting into the breeze.

The Equalists were attacking the city.


	10. Chapter 10

The air acolytes had offered at first to take the Avatar across the bay to the city but Korra had refused them, ordering them back to the temple to keep themselves and the airbender family safe. She was Southern Water Tribe, after all, she could handle a ferry boat. She, the bending brothers, and Asami all piled onto the ship while Tenzin took off across the bay on his air bison. Korra wasn't certain of her plan once she'd let loose the moor lines and set off for the opposite harbor but she knew that City Hall would be the first place that Amon would strike, and she intended to be there when he did.

The four members of Team Avatar stood on the small deck, watching the city grow opaque behind a veil of dust and smoke. Every fresh boom brought with it an ache in Korra's bones. The figure of Aang, watching from his memorial at her left, only encouraged her harder to save his city. His legacy.

Halfway across the bay and Asami turned from the sight to walk aft and draw nearer to Korra where she stood at the rudder, guiding them along. The heiress was stiff, holding her arms about herself, but the smile she passed onto Korra was full of quiet affection.

"We're going to need a car when we get there," she said, matter-of-factly.

Korra was glad to see that Asami, as usual, was fearless in the face of outside danger. It was only peril close to heart which bothered the woman, it seemed.

"I left yours on the docks," she nodded, trying to recall where exactly. It had been late at night and she'd hardly been in her right frame of mind that night driving home.

Asami arched a brow at that however. "You drove my car?"

Korra's features twisted downwards, sheepishly. "It was that or leave it in the middle of a street."

Asami shrugged, relenting, and came to stand beside her as they coasted closer to the docks. They didn't touch, not now, but with Asami so close Korra could at once feel their earlier passion like a shadow between them. She still couldn't believe that she'd just given in and kissed Asami that way. On reflection, she realized that she hadn't really thought about it as much as she probably should have. She'd just reacted to the intensity that she'd seen in Asami and it made her shutter inwardly to imagine what might have happened if the other woman had recoiled.

"Asami," her voice was low, not meant to be overheard by the brothers. "I think we should keep whatever this is between us... between us. For now."

The other woman glanced back at her, placid and cool, and Korra was reminded of the first time they'd met one another when she saw those secret-laced eyes. "I agree," she said and Korra sighed with soft relief. She'd almost been worried that Asami would have been mad at the thought. Asami gave her a small, knowing smile. "It's not going to be easy though."

Korra tilted her head, fondly. "It will be easier than having to explain to Mako that I stole his girl. Or... distracting Bolin. The last time the three of us were all having crushes on the wrong person, our teamwork tanked. I don't know what to expect when we get to the city, but it's going to be ugly and we need to work at our best, together."

Asami covered a grin. "All right, well I guess we'll just act normal for now then."

She gave Asami a thankful smile and looked back towards the city. They were coming in on the docks now and she began to use her bending to help steer the ferry slowly in. It was cheating, said her Water Tribe heart, but they didn't have the luxury of taking their time to do things the proper way.

Before they docked, the heiress cleared her throat. "Korra, I want you to know that whatever _this_ is, it's important to me."

Korra glanced back at Asami, who was still her usual cool self even in light of her confession. She grinned. "Me too." She tore her attention from Asami's smile and lifted her chin to the brothers. "Mako, Bolin, hop off and tie us down."

The brothers moved with the harmonized swiftness that kept them alive in the ProBending arena and Korra's waterbending helped to secure the ferry at the dock. They all scrambled off the boat and took a look around them. The city streets were all but deserted at this corner of town, and Korra could only assume that people had already evacuated or were hunkering down to avoid the bombing. The airships continued to hover, but the drops were less frequent now. The smell of sulfur and ash was thick however and she found herself snorting several times to clear her nose of it.

"So, where did you park my car?" Asami asked carefully and Korra cringed.

'Riiiiiight. The car...'

"Um, over here, I think." She took off in a direction and the rest followed. Asami's car was where she remembered, all right. It was also in the shape that she remembered. The satomobile was half on a curb and what had actually pulled it to a complete stop was the light post that she'd partially bent over the hood. Asami stood stunned for a moment and then cast Korra a sidelong glare. "Hey, don't give me that look. You got arrested and I've made it clear that I don't know how to drive."

The heiress rolled her eyes and opened the trunk to search for something while Bolin attempted to assuage Korra's pride. "It's on the side of the street at least. And look, you locked the doors! There are an awful lot of tickets though..." he looked warily at the stack of stubs under the windshield wiper but Mako scooped them up then bent a flame to incinerate.

While Korra hopped in the backseat, Bolin gasped dramatically at his brother. "Mako you can't just do that!"

"The city is under attack, I don't think anyone cares about parking tickets," he scoffed in answer and moved to the side door. Asami was pulling on her chi-blocker glove but as the firebender made to get in the seat beside her she glowered at him. "Maybe you should sit in the back," she suggested. "With Korra."

The Avatar caught the tone, as did everyone else in the car. Oddly, Asami sounded legitimately annoyed and Korra's mouth turned down, unsure if she had done something wrong already.

"Okay," Mako glared back. "Maybe I will." He shut the door then slipped over the rear of the car to saddle beside Korra. The Water Tribe girl looked from him to Asami's green eyes in the mirror. She had suggested that they act normal, and had taken her usual seat in the back to feed that lie, but Asami's possessive glare didn't appear faked. As the engine rolled over in a stutter of mechanism and the heiress pulled it out into the street, Korra wondered for a moment if being discreet was going to be something easier said than done.

* * *

The battle for City Hall had failed, but Asami knew that hurt Korra far worse than it did her. She was worried at first that Korra would take the defeat as poorly as she took any other failure but the Avatar had remained focused and adaptive. Perhaps, Asami hopped, she was beginning to trust in her own ability to persevere.

The fight had not been gainless. They'd rescued Tenzin (at the cost of Asami's beloved car) and they had made it back to Air Temple Island before the Equalists could cut their way through Lin Beifong and the airbender kids but more airships were on their way, looming over the bay as harbingers of the inevitable.

Tenzin and the Avatar stood beneath the arcade awning while Mako and Bolin stared at the coming ships, however Asami watched Korra as the two benders debated quietly. She realized, incisively, that it didn't matter what Korra decided to do; she would be at her side regardless. Fight or run, she was going to trust in Korra.

The Water Tribe girl and airbender master embraced briefly and then Korra jogged towards Asami and the boys.

"We're going into hiding," she announced in a firm voice and Asami felt taken by surprise. It was one of the last sentences she had expected to hear from Korra's mouth. "I'm not going to abandon the city, but we can't fight today. Tenzin sent a distress call to the United Forces and they're on their way, we just have to wait Amon out until they get here and then we can really fight back." She looked directly at the heiress and Asami knew what she would say before it came. "Asami, you don't have to go with us. You aren't who they want, and your father can probably protect you better than we-"

"I'm going with you," she cut off simply. She wasn't about to abandon Korra now and she sure has hell wasn't crawling back to her father for help.

Korra sighed tightly but nodded back and then turned to run and leap onto Naga's saddle with practiced ease. "Everyone on, we need to go."

Tenzin and the airbender family were already piling on top of Oogie, with Beifong joining as support. Asami saw the former police chief catch Korra's eye and offer her a stiff salute, and then the flying bison was floating upwards. At once, two airships changed coarse to pursue. Bolin and Mako climbed on the polar-bear dog behind Korra and Asami was forced to take the rear, inwardly annoyed at her poor traction as well as having to wrap her arms around Mako for stability. He placed a hand over hers however, offering her a brief smile, and she had to give it to him that his obstinate heart was still endearing.

Korra turned Naga and heeled her in the direction of the temple ramp and the moment they began to amble off at Naga's lopsided gate Asami missed her car. How Korra could prefer this rocking to a smooth satomobile was beyond her sensibilities.

At the cliff drop Naga picked up speed and then leapt full force from the rocky outcropping and Asami had a moment of stomach-flipping thrill before they were inundated by stunningly cold water. Korra let go the reins and within a moment they were enveloped in an underwater bubble of air. Beneath the waves of the bay, they could travel unseen as long as Korra could keep the water bent around them but Asami was still miserably wet and cold.

"Here," Mako made a flame in each hand, holding one towards Asami and one in front of him towards his brother and the Avatar. The heiress clutched to him and his warmth-filled fist as they worked across the bay.

"K-Korra," Bolin shivered. "Where are we going to h-hide?"

"I don't know," she answered as Naga paddled them along. "I thought maybe we could find someplace abandoned?"

"We're going to be at risk on the streets," Mako argued. "We don't know how many people in the city support the Equalists and we're all too recognizable. Everyone knows the Fire Ferrets and the Avatar, and most people know the Sato heiress."

"I guess that mean's we can't hangout at the mansion," Asami sighed dryly.

"Aw, man." Bolin moaned.

"We may be safe in the underground," Mako suggested but Asami shook her head.

"You mean the tunnels where we looked for Korra? They're covered with Equalists."

"That was just one part of the tunnel network. It runs all over the city, there may be a corner we can stay in."

"Well," Bolin scrubbed his chin. "The homeless guys all live in that corner under the industrial park. Maybe they'd feel welcoming."

"It's worth a shot," Korra agreed. "I've met a few of those guys around the city and they seem to not hate me."

"Great," Asami huffed quietly. Really, what was the point of access to Future Industries millions if she couldn't use it to hide herself and her friends from her father's revolutionary plots?

They swam their way across the bay and then around the coastline until they found the concrete seawall of the industrial sector. Naga had done well to bring them this far but the swim with so many passengers had taken its toll and Korra quickly asked them all off as soon as they were out of the water. Asami's clothes continued to cling to her and she wrapped her arms around herself in some vain attempt to conserve heat but her chattering teeth quickly gave her away. Korra turned to her with a sympathetic glance, then waved her hand. Fine droplets of ice bent suddenly off of her clothes and collected in a pile at her feet. Asami looked from the snow to Korra with a grateful smile.

"Thanks."

"Waterbending perks," she shrugged and turned to follow the brothers towards a massive storm-drain opening that glowed metallically in the fading sunlight. Fortunately, the entry way was empty for the time being and easily passable. At the cusp of the pipe, Korra paused and Asami followed her look towards Air Temple Island, where an airship with Amon's mark floated proudly. It was an alarming image, and Asami rather wished she hadn't seen it.

Mako placed an arm around Korra's shoulders as the Avatar stared bitterly across the bay. "Come on," he insisted and began to lead her further down the tunnel, much to Asami's annoyance. She was right in her prediction that their being discrete was going to be difficult, but being unable to tell Mako to keep his hands to himself was going to really strain the heiress's self control.


	11. Chapter 11

_Author's Note: The following chapter should be marked M for very mature content. Discretion is suggested._

* * *

The shanty town beneath the derelict corner of Republic City's industrial corner was as destitute as one could expect, but ten times as welcoming. Korra, the bending brothers, and Asami had been received with all the grandeur of the homeless court: offered bedding and food of questionable origins and invited to sit at the fires of the other refugees and Equalist deserters. All were welcome, it seemed, in the undercity sanctuary and it was one endless experience for the Sato heiress.

Asami did not like to think that she had grown up as separated from the world as the rest of her privileged counterparts; socialites with more money than sense and deficit of even conscious decency... but she realized that she had never before imagined herself sitting around acrid stewpots with the city's undesirables in the same clothes that she'd slept in, and the same clothes that she'd fought in the day previous. Before her father had betrayed her, her only interaction with the underprivileged was at charity events in their honor (where they were conveniently not in attendance) and now she was begging them for their hospitality. What awed her, however, was that they simply gave it. With little or nothing to share, the homeless handed out whatever was on hand to them and even when she had no way of knowing where her blanket and bedroll came from she could do nothing but smile gratefully for it. It was at times like these when she thought her father had perhaps done her the greatest favor by abandoning her the way that he had. Otherwise, she may never have learned of the giving nature in others, which only inspired her to be more giving herself.

The food however was still terrible.

She laid down her cup of soup after a particularly sour bite at dinner time and covered her lips, looking away from the fire.

"What's wrong missy?" A bearded man whom Korra had introduced to her as 'Gommu' asked toothily. "Not your... cuppa soup?" He cackled along with a chubbier cohort and Mako, seated across from her, frowned.

Asami passed him a polite smile, shaking her head. She had been left alone with Mako while Korra and Bolin went scouting for some disguises from the other tunnels. Asami hadn't wanted the Avatar to go, of course, but nothing could change Korra's mind once it was made up and she had been adamant that two earthbenders stood a better chance in the tunnels than a woman with a chi-blocker glove. "I'm just still a little full from lunch," she lied.

The bum shrugged and opened his hand to take her cup, which she handed over. "S'more for the rest of us then. Oh, I forgot to mention to ya..." he nodded his head to the corner of the tunnels where she and the rest of Team Avatar had been camping. "Ru'tan found an old room screen. Thought you and the other lady might like to use it for your camp."

Asami's brow arched. "That's great. Thank Ru'tan for me?"

He pressed his bottom lip and nodded. "Sure, sure. I know how girls like their privacy. Especially with so many randybrandy boys walkin about."

Asami's gaze swiveled at once at Mako, who coughed into his bowl of soup. "That's sweet of you and Ru'tan, but I don't think it's too much of a problem." She got to her feet. "Thank you for dinner. I think I'll try to get some rest while Korra and Bolin are out."

The group waved her away and she turned to the collection of bedrolls, blankets, and lantern where Team Avatar had been sleeping. Naga was curled up on Korra's blanket, huffing in bored fashion, and leaned against the wall was an old room-divider screen, as promised. She gave the soggy wood a look over but decided that it would be welcome to enjoy some modicum of privacy after all and began to re-arrange their beds with the boys on one side of the screen and hers and Korra's on the other.

"Need any help?" Mako asked from her shoulder and she half-glanced at him.

"No, I think I've got it," she replied and pulled a corner of the screen at a 90-degree angle to add more cover. Mako sat on his bedroll and continued to watch her, his features in a small scowl.

"They should have been back by now," he said finally.

"They'll be back," she assured and looked to see him combing back his hair, frustrated.

"It's just so messed up," he started suddenly, taking her by surprise. Mako was so naturally closed off that he rarely began to just talk on his own. "How can so many people want to take away bending like that? From people who never did anything to them? A firebender killed your mother and you don't hate benders. A bender murdered both of my parents and I'm not out to get rid of all benders."

She frowned softly at the mention of her mother, a topic she didn't like to be reminded of, but she crossed her arms and let him finish before responding. "Maybe some people just want to be victims." He looked up at her, obviously waiting for her to continue, which she did with a shrug. "If you _did_ blame every bender in the world for what happened to your parents, then you'd be surrounded by enemies. Half the world would be a bad guy to you and it would be you against them. The same goes for if it had been a regular nonbender. Every time a nonbender didn't hire you for a job or cut in front of you in a line or hit you accidentally with their moped, it would be on purpose."

Mako smirked a little at her. "But instead, it's just an accident. Or a random act."

"Exactly. You decided that what happened to your parents was the fault of one man, not all men, and maybe that means you're a little tougher. Maybe the people who want to be victims and want to see all benders as their own personal villains don't have that."

"I guess it's just easier to blame all benders than to take responsibility."

She nodded slowly, her thoughts drifting to her father. He had been in so much pain when her mother died that it had convinced him that all benders were responsible, not just those men that broke into her house that night. His love for her mother had twisted into a boundless amount of hate until it had taken him from her as well.

"Asami?"

She looked up from her musing and then shook her head, smiling gently. "Sorry. I was just thinking. I should probably go and lay down... that big dinner really put me to sleep."

He smiled again, fuller. "Yeah. I know how much you like steamed gruel."

"It's the Sunday brunch special at Kwong's Cuisine, you know," she returned, which made him laugh again. It was a little nice to be able to be relaxed this way with Mako once more, but at the same time it was also a stark reminder to her that things between them had fizzled away. She supposed that it wasn't fair to be angry with him, considering that she was guilty of the same offense. His feelings were obvious to her whenever he looked at Korra, and part of her worried if it was equally apparent to him when she and the Avatar met eyes. "Goodnight, Mako."

"Goodnight, Asami."

She walked around the screen and laid down on the bedroll furthest from the wall, knowing that Korra liked to have her back protected when she slept. On her side and using her coat for a pillow, she stared for a while at the empty space beside her while she listened to the chatter of the campfires and the metallic murmuring of the tunnels. Korra had been gone now for over four hours and despite her telling Mako otherwise, Asami was growing a little nervous. Ever since she'd accepted how she felt about Korra she'd noticed an exponentially more intense sense of concern for the other girl. She'd also noticed a handful of other things: an odd sleeplessness, an unfamiliar tendency towards abrupt laughter when Korra was the instigator, extended shared glances across any breadth of space. It was entirely possible that Korra and she had spent more time looking at one another over the past forty-eight hours since their kiss than actually speaking. They'd also managed to steal about a half-dozen additional kisses but those had been woefully short lived and carefully guarded.

The entire scenario was so logically absurd and yet despite sleeping in a leaking service tunnel afraid for her life and waiting for a war to begin, Asami was half living on a buzz of pleasant excitement simply because she knew that Korra would be sleeping near her at night. It really was ridiculous. She'd never felt this way before, not even with Mako, and try as hard as she did to quantify it into terms that could appease her engineer's mind she was simply left without answers. All she knew was that she couldn't wait to see Korra again.

The heiress sighed quietly at herself and shut her eyes, determined to actually try for some sleep.

* * *

Cast in the dimness of the city tunnels, she was unaware of how long she had dozed but when she woke up it was because there was someone nearby. As late or early as it was, there were still voices filtering among the tunnels and chuckles sounding from distant camps. She peaked through half-closed lids to see Korra's figure enter the shadowed space which kept their sleeping rolls protected from the rest of the tunnels and then lay down on the bedding beside Asami's. She didn't say a word, obviously assuming the heiress to be asleep still, and simply stretched out on her side and then reached forward a hand to land unobtrusively on Asami's between them. A bar of orange light, breaking through a joint of the screen, cut between them and allowed Asami to see how Korra's darker fingers traced a pattern on hers.

The heiress opened her eyes a little fuller to meet Korra's and at once the Avatar jolted still, as if caught in an impish act, and then she relaxed with an amused smile. Asami met her grin with her own and lifted her fingers to play against Korra's, lighting gently along her knuckles in a touch that was as much affectionate as it was playful. Korra giggled in silence, laying her cheek on her opposite hand and Asami's fingers crawled slowly upwards along her wrist. The Water Tribe girl had kept her clothes on, but had removed her boots and armbands and Asami's fingers tasted the smooth, muscled flesh of her forearm. What had begun as a sleep-deprived game slowly became an honest exploration as Asami began to stroke up Korra's arm to her shoulder and then to her throat. She could feel the Avatar's heat nestled there and she sighed faintly, wanting to know it with her mouth though she dared not move from her bedroll. The bending brothers were sleeping just feet away, after all. Her fingers however continued their climb, and she curled her knuckle against Korra's smooth cheek then brushed back into her hair.

All the while, Korra simply watched her, hand outstretched towards her as she was caressed. Asami traced the outline of the girl's brow and down her nose as if to memorize lines and creases, and then she found herself drawn inexorably towards Korra's mouth. She fluttered her fingertips over Korra's lips and then had to bite back a gasp as Korra moved against Asami's hand, daintily kissing each tip. She was startled by how something so chaste could feel so erotic to her. Asami swallowed, still smiling to Korra, and then pressed the backs of her fingers to the girl's cheek in a silent show of her affection. The Avatar grasped her hand and closed her eyes as if to hold her there, and then it was Korra's turn to explore.

Her fingers started down the line of Asami's wrist and arm and she felt strangely burned by the intensity in the other woman's stroke. Korra lacked Asami's subtlety, either due to inexperience or simply because that was her way. Her gentlest touch remained strong as she rolled her fingers upwards along Asami's bicep and over the bone of her collar. The heiress' jade eyes remained melded into Korra's, absorbed by the quiet passion she could see brewing so close to the surface. This sensation, of touching and being touched by another woman, was so new and yet comfortable to her as Korra continued to explore along her jaw and then against her lips. She pressed a kiss to the intruding fingers at once, but then Asami's reason began to fall dangerously quiet.

Without fulling considering her actions, she parted her lips and gently tugged Korra's finger between them, peaking her tongue out for a taste before taking the next inside her mouth. Her eyes drifted shut as she felt Korra's fingers with her lips, quietly reveling in this new contact between them but when she opened them to realize what exactly it was she was doing she was surprised by the way Korra was looking at her in the dim cavern light. She'd never seen that expression on her before.

Suddenly Korra was flowing forward to her, a wave of hot shadow that enveloped Asami in a clumsy motion. She was silk tresses and coarse tunic, sinewy arms and scorching, clinging lips that met Asami's desperately in the dark. No sound could betray them because no sound was allowed an escape from their melded mouths where tongues rolled and joined. Asami reacted entirely on instinct, clawing her hands upwards into Korra's hair and tugging it free of its bindings to cover them both in its wild curtain. Her arms wrapped around Korra's frame, tugging her close and her knee lifted to part Korra's legs and press firm against the space between her thighs.

Korra's immediate gasp was swallowed by Asami. She didn't entirely know what it was she was doing, having been thrust so suddenly onto a new field, but she knew what she wanted against the ache between her own legs and she brought her knee up again to grind her thigh between Korra's. She could feel the other woman's back stiffen with each upward push and when Korra started to push back around Asami's leg she almost moaned aloud with pure excitement. She wrapped her arms tighter around Korra to hold her as they labored against one another, working so desperately hard to not be heard, but at last Korra slowly shifted off Asami. The younger girl broke her mouth from the other, biting her bottom lip hard and pressing herself to Asami's side. With her lips gone, it was if a spell had been lifted and when she saw Korra's pained expression Asami was flushed with shame.

Oh, what had she done? She'd thoughtlessly riled Korra up, driven herself against her without the means to finish and now what? The poor girl was in her arms, blushing furiously and obviously aching with nowhere to go. Asami drew her closer and kissed her fevered forehead. She didn't know what to do, or how to make love with a woman, but she did know something of her own body at least. She looked down to Korra and whispered voicelessly, "Trust me, okay?"

Korra nodded, still worrying her bottom lip but there was a flame of lingering desire still sparkling in her eyes. Asami returned to her kiss, only more gentle this time to stave off the temptation of falling forward into that lust-fueled madness again while her free hand landed on Korra's stomach and began to gently glide down towards the waist of Korra's pants. She moved slowly but with faux confidence beneath the other girls clothes until her fingers were caressing through the curls of Korra's mound. She could feel each of Korra's slow, tense sighs as she threaded her fingers lower around her lips and her own heart was hammering in her ears as she parted and felt the damp velvet flesh between. This time she did moan aloud, a soft mewling sound which she attempted to cut back at once. She hadn't expected for Korra to be so warm; so delicately soft.

Korra meanwhile was strung so tightly under her that she half thought that the woman would erupt the moment she touched her pearl. At once, Korra arched but then relaxed languidly back into Asami. It only took a few strokes, a series of gentle rolls of her fingers over the turgid nub, then Korra heaved forward into her, teeth kneading into Asami's lip. She finished and fell back into the bedroll, panting quietly and Asami had the absurd idea that she could have died in that moment and been perfectly fulfilled. She rotated her finger a few more times, just to be sure, and then left Korra's lips with a trail of wet. When she pulled her hand free she glanced from Korra's closed lids to her slicked fingers and felt a twinge of perverted curiosity. She brought her hand close and lapped once at her digits, not expecting the sweet iron taste, only to realize a moment after that Korra had managed to rouse herself just at that instant. Asami stared with trepidation at the other woman but after a stunned moment Korra simply lifted forward again to kiss her anew.

"That felt... wonderful," she breathed after a few moments more and they grinned at one another.

"Good," she whispered back and Korra's hand moved deliberately to Asami's hip but she grasped the girl's wrist, shaking her head with a smile. "It's okay, I can wait." She promised.

Korra's brow kneaded at that. "I don't want to wait," she mouthed back but Asami kissed her quiet.

"I don't think I can be silent, and I really don't want our first time making love to be in a hobo tunnel with Mako two feet from me."

Korra quirked a brow at that, suddenly sheepish. "...Good point."

They smiled at one another again and then Asami settled onto her back, pulling Korra against her shoulder. The Water Tribe girl snuggled against her easily, one muscled arm wrapped around her stomach and their hair mingling on the pillow-jacket beneath them. Asami's mind was a whir of motion as she carefully replayed what had just happened, moment by moment, and she knew without a doubt that she was going to want oh so much more of Korra.

* * *

 _Author's Note: Because of my slow posting I decided to make up for it by back to back chapters. Next time, Asami and Korra realize just how jealous Asami can be!_


	12. Chapter 12

On the central park podium, Hiroshi Sato was waving his arms and slamming his fists in an emphatic rhythm to emphasize every hate-filled word out of his mouth and watching him in the crowd behind an Equalist mask, Korra could only sneer. It had apparently become Hiroshi's job to play as the public relations for Amon's movement and she was suddenly very glad that she'd come out on reconnaissance to the rally with Mako and not Asami. She hated to imagine what seeing her father like this would have done to the engineer.

The figure beside her nudged her with an elbow to gather her attention and she glanced up at him through the obscure green goggles strapped to her hood, then nodded simply. She too had had enough. They turned in unison and walked back through the park behind of the rest of the crowd, easily avoiding notice while all eyes were focused on the podium and its enthusiastic speaker. Sato was good at holding a crowd.

Behind a hedge copse, a gray boulder sat indifferent to the fact that it was the only one of its kind in the area. Korra easily lifted and rocked two fists to bend it aside enough to reveal the drop which led into the tunnel beneath. She let Mako go first, keeping a careful eye out as he did, and then dropped in beside him to close the portal back again. Once they were guarded in the cool darkness of the tunnels, she ripped off her hood.

"That guy drives me nuts," she fumed, tossing her wolftails. "And what was all that about 'having the Avatar on the run?" She pointed at her friend for emphasis. "I'm not running."

"Hey, I know that," he deflected and they began to walk in the direction of their camp. "You can't let it get to you, you just need to be patient."

"Yeah, well, I'm sick of being patient. I want out of these sewers and I want to crush Amon's egg head in my hands," she motioned with her fingers to explain precisely what she wanted to happen between her grip and Amon's face.

Mako smirked. "You'll have a chance."

"I just don't get how Asami's dad can be like -that- and Asami can be so... so..." she sighed, biting her tongue before she said something unwise. It was hard for her to describe Asami without using words like 'gorgeous' or 'amazing' or 'soft'.

Mako didn't seem to notice her near mistake however, simply shrugging. "She's got a good head on her shoulders, and I honestly don't know if Asami has it in her to hate anything or anyone."

"She doesn't," she agreed quietly.

The tunnel opened in front of them into the larger industrial cavern and walking through, they could see the various refugees milling about between shanty camps and in and out of other tunnel-ways. It was nearly incomprehensible to Korra just how far the underground network spread. Near a table beneath a skylight she could Asami and Bolin scratching a playfully bored polarbear-dog and she couldn't resist the grin that came to her when she saw the engineer. It vanished however when Asami noticed her and Mako and cut a glare between the two.

"You guys were gone awhile," she noted coolly, crossing her arms. Korra opened her mouth, confused by the tone, but Mako answered first.

"Yeah, we were gathering intelligence."

Asami snorted from between her nostrils. "Whatever," she remarked and turned to stride down a hall.

"What is -with- her?" He demanded irritably but Korra ignored him, looking after Asami instead.

"Hey, Bolin," she nodded to the earthbender. "Can you and Mako watch Naga while I find her something to eat?"

"Yeah, sure," he shrugged up at her and then pinched Naga's jowls between two hands. "Naga wants to hangout with me anyway. Doesn't she? Doesn't she?" The polar-bear dog stuffed her nose in Bolin's face as response. Korra smirked at the two and went in the direction Asami had stalked off in. Around a stack of empty crates she found the heiress, leaning against a wall and sulking uncharacteristically.

"Hey," she greeted gently, coming nearer. "What was that about?"

"Nothing." Asami insisted at once, and then huffed. She shook her head. "I'm sorry, I just hate it down here and I've barely been eating and when ever you're with Mako I just feel so... small."

She'd said it all so quickly that Korra had to carefully tick through each again to make sure she hadn't missed something. She took a step nearer, joining her behind the crates. "Asami, no one is trying to pretend like this is easy. We're all on edge, it's okay. And you know there's nothing between Mako and me."

Asami wasn't facing her, and she remained uncomfortably stiff. "I know that. But..."

"But what?"

"The way he looks at you worries me. I still care about Mako too, you know." She finally glanced over at Korra, who was frowning softly back. "Not in the same way, and not in the way that I feel about you but he's still important to me. I don't have any other _real_ friends and my only family outside of my father are a few aunts and cousins in the Fire Nation whom I've never met. You, Bolin, and Mako are all I have now and I don't want to loose any of you." She sighed again and glanced away with an ironic curl at the corner of her lips. "And I'm learning that I may have a jealous streak."

"Yeah, I'm learning that too," Korra agreed with a teasing chuckle, scratching under her ponytail. "It's okay though, I don't think that I really mind. I've been jealous of you and Mako for weeks so I guess we can take turns."

Asami shot her a sidelong look at that, but then slumped her shoulders as she relented. "I'm sorry that I'm being such a brat."

"Hey, you can't bring a rich girl into a slummy hobo den and expect her to be the life of the party," she shrugged, finding it easier to be casual with Asami like this. Learning how to get along with women was a little more hazardous than learning to get along with the boys. When -they- were angry with one another, they all just shouted and bended but she didn't think that she could shout at Asami, and she really didn't want the heiress to throw a chi-blocker at her. "I'm sorry this is so hard, but I'm really glad you're here," she added honestly, coming a little closer. She had a constant, quiet guilt for putting Asami through so much in their short time together, but she was also constantly happy that the heiress had decided to stick around with an 'off-the-boat' Water Tribe girl without 10 yuan to her name.

Asami smiled slowly at her. "You know, you're turning out to be a pretty good girlfriend."

"Girlfriend?" She blinked. "Is that what I am?"

"Yes." She answered with finality and Korra's chest expanded with a fresh wave of warmth that flowed from her cheeks to her toes.

"All right then!" She grinned fiercely and drew close enough to Asami to place a hand on her waist. It was so exciting to her to be allowed to touch the other woman in even a polite capacity that she almost forgot to check that they were out of sight on this corner of the tunnel, though a quick glance showed that they were, for the moment, unnoticed. "So does that mean that I can tell you how good you look in three-day old clothes?"

Asami chuckled and brought a hand up into Korra's hair, leaning closer. "Now you're just trying to get me to do that thing again," she teased, kissing Korra's lips.

"No I'm not," she protested after a moment, blushing at least three different shades at the mention of their time together the night before. She cocked an eyebrow at her girlfriend. "But will you?"

Asami laughed and kissed her again and while they had the luxury of privacy, they enjoyed a few moments of fantasy in which they were two normal people enjoying a fresh start, without weighted fears for friends and families and futures sitting just upon their shoulders.

* * *

It was only a few more hours until they expected to hear from the United Forces and Korra was so tense she could taste it bitterly in her mouth. She would have pulled her bedroll close to Asami again to wait out the night, but Bolin had given away the divider screen to another campsite in need and the Water Tribe girl knew that her self control would only go so far. Laying near Asami and not touching her would have been too much to add to her already significant stress so she opted to rest with her back against Naga, who certainly appreciated the familiar companionship.

Asami appeared to have understood. They shared a look over Bolin's shoulder while they each hunkered down for the night and when Korra offered her an apologetic slump of her shoulders she just shrugged back, then winked and rolled her jacket under her head to rest on. Korra had felt the little gesture clench around her heart, the same way that she felt all of Asami's silent looks, and it pulled a smile from her as she made herself comfortable against Naga.

Sleep didn't come, however. How long she sat there listening to her polarbear-dog's heavy breathing she wasn't entirely sure, but it must have been hours drifting in and out of daydreams and meditative musings. She wished that she could reach Aang, but he was silent once again and she imagined that to be her fault rather than his. He was there, someplace within her center, she just didn't know the path to find him. She tried to assuage her pride by suggesting it was unlikely that he would have known what she should do anyway. The world had changed drastically in the seventeen years that he'd been gone, after all... but she knew she was only lying to herself. The world changed, but people didn't.

"Trouble sleeping?" A voice asked at her right and she glanced up to see Mako smiling gently at her. She matched his expression and shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess so." She tried to keep her voice low with the others sleeping nearby. She could see Asami's figure by the firelight, turned away. "It's like there's this... pit in my stomach," she continued as Mako joined her and Naga. She shook her head, not really wanting to confess the mess of worries on her mind and she attempted veer the topic some. "You know, it's pretty intense how much has happened in the past few months. I mean, one minute I'm training for my firebending test and the next I'm in the middle of an actual war."

"Yeah, I know. It's weird to think that I didn't even know you then, but now I can't imagine my life without you in it," he looked at her and Korra could feel a glow under her skin at the sentiment in his amber eyes. "You're the most brave, loyal, selfless person that I've ever met, Korra."

She didn't know what to say. Mako wasn't the most complimentary person, and he certainly wasn't the most eloquent, which added an entirely new layer of significance to his voiced admiration. She was surprised and well... flattered that he would think so well of her. It made her a little more confident in what she would have to begin the next day and she grinned awkwardly at him.

"Thanks," she responded, a bit belatedly. "I think that you're pretty incredible too..." she recalled the moment in their team locker room weeks ago when she'd blurted out a series of jittery praises which had left the two of them both mortified. Kissing him shortly after hadn't helped to keep her fondness for her teammate a secret, either. "But you already knew that I guess."

It was such a silly memory to her now. She had been slow to like Mako but he had grown on her, and the harder they worked together the closer she had felt towards him. He was brave, and dependable, and those were things she needed in her friends but she had since learned that it wasn't enough to make him a counterpoint for her. Even if he was smoothly handsome and had a tendency to look at person with an almost provoking intensity. A lot like how he was looking at her at that exact moment, in fact.

In the stillness of their tunnel refuge, Mako moved towards her by a half measure and Korra turned away at once, feeling a coolness on her cheeks. Had he just been about to kiss her? She swallowed, still looking away. "I should try and get some sleep."

"Oh, yeah. Me too."

She got to her feet, attempting to not move with any obvious haste. "Night."

"Night," he returned and she walked around the fire to her bedroll, which was still set up near Asami's. The heiress appeared to actually be asleep, something that Korra was glad for as she tugged off her arm bands and hair-tie. She suddenly didn't care anymore if the rest of the tunnel saw what she did next, which was to push her roll directly beside Asami and snuggle onto it, still not touching her girlfriend but close enough that she easily could have. If anyone asked, she'd just say it was for the warmth.

Asami didn't wake, but she did shift slightly in her sleep, letting a hand curl directly under her cheek and Korra stared at her for a long while, mesmerized and quiet. She had told Asami not to worry about Mako, but maybe she had spoken from naivety after all. She wanted to tell her all about it, more out of a need to find out if she had overreacted to something innocent or not, but she knew it would only bristle her already anxious girlfriend. She sighed, rolling onto her hands, and shut her eyes closed. They just needed to get through this revolution, and then they could all figure out their place with one another when it was over. If it ever would be.

* * *

This was it, for Asami. This was the day that she was going to deal with what her father had done. To suggest that she was confident in her intentions would not have been the whole truth, but she was resolved to do her very best at the least and she knew herself well enough to realize that that would get her pretty far. She had the capability to complete the mission which General Iroh had tasked her with, to ground the airships her father had -blatantly- stolen from her own designs, but the true test would be if the day led her to actually facing off against her father. It was not the circumstance that she wanted, but she had to accept that it could very well happen. She just wished that Korra would have been able to be at her back for it.

Korra, however, had decided to follow her own path to go after Amon, and Asami cared enough for her to respect that. They wouldn't fight together this time, and as difficult as that was to agree with, she knew that it was the best choice for the two of them. She and Korra both had their own obstacles in this revolution, their own hurdles to prove against, and she had full confidence in the Avatar. Mostly.

They were standing in a corner of the tunnel, guarded by a sheet hung between more shanty crates while Korra pulled on her Equalist jumpsuit. Asami scowled softly as the Water Tribe girl dressed, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Olive really isn't your color," she decided abruptly and Korra glanced up at her in surprise.

"I don't think they have any in blue..." she responded and they shared a brief grin. "Maybe I can ask around at the rally? 'Excuse me sir, my girlfriend doesn't like me in this color, do you have something more Water Tribe suitable?'"

Asami tilted back her head to laugh. "Maybe something without a creepy gas mask?"

"I don't know, I hear creepy gas masks are going to be _really_ 'in' next season."

"Sweetheart, between the two of us, I'm pretty sure that I'm the authority on what is going to be 'in' next season. And it's not gas masks."

"Well good, because I'm not so sure that you could pull it off."

Asami arched a thin black brow, placing a hand on her hip. "If I can pull off a chi-blocker glove, I can pull off anything."

Korra grinned and strode closer to her, placing her hands on Asami's hips and the heiress couldn't resist the way that Korra's eyes lit on her. She was almost putty for Korra. "Only because you're brave enough to try. And you're _really_ brave, Asami." She said seriously, surprising the heiress. Korra smirked at her expression and kissed her cheek. "So, stop looking at me like that."

"Like what?"

"Like your afraid it's the last time you'll ever see me. I'm the Avatar, remember? Saving the world is exactly my job."

Asami 'tskd' and rolled her eyes. "After watching you fight down a handful of my father's airships this morning, I'm not too worried," she lifted a hand to attempt to smooth Korra's bangs from her brow. "But, try to come back in one piece, okay?"

She nodded back, hiding a smirk. "You too." She leaned up to kiss her for several heartbeats and when they parted, foreheads pressed together, Asami felt flushed and quiet. She guessed that she did feel some disquiet for the fate of Korra against Amon, even if she didn't want to. She dared not voice it aloud, knowing that Korra would just scoff boisterously and stick her hands on her hips, as was her usual reaction to any sentiments for her well-being. Being the Avatar's secret girlfriend was not at all an easy role.

"Ready to go and pretend to be normal?"

"Yeah, I guess," Korra sighed. They leaned away from one another and slowly dropped their hands, then exited the curtained space to join the others. Mako was dressed in the same suit Korra wore, while Bolin and Iroh both looked much less prepared. Asami noticed that the young general was still wearing his torn uniform, and she guessed that it was officer pride that kept him in his colors. It was a shame that the coat had been so badly damaged in that morning's fight however, since Iroh wore the cut pretty well.

The men all looked up as Korra and Asami approached and suddenly the tunnel cavern was filled with an awkward tension as everyone hesitated to say a goodbye.

"Well," Korra began. "I'm ready to go."

"Yeah, me too." Mako agreed.

Asami reached and gave Korra's arm a brief squeeze, a last silent encouragement which Korra returned with a heart-filled look before Asami moved to stand with Bolin and Iroh. Mako surprised her however by laying a hand on her shoulder.

"Asami," he entreated in his dour way and she flicked her green gaze between his, trying to read his grim expression. "I want you to know that I'm sorry about how things wound up between us. But, no matter what happens, I still care about you."

Her brows rose and then then kneaded softly together. It was a disquieting sentiment to come from the boy who had been the unwitting counterweight in this triangular affair, but despite her deep feelings for Korra she still felt a twinge of heartache for the connection she had had and lost with Mako. He was so desperate to do the 'right' thing, even when he had to do the necessary thing, and she continued to admire him for that. She wasn't in any place to wallow for what would have been between them, not when she had fallen for someone else even during their courtship, but she was sorry nonetheless.

"I still care about you too," she promised honestly and leaned up to leave him a farewell on his cheek before looking more sternly at him. "Take care of Korra."

His angled brow became a firm line. "I will," he swore and she believed him. Mako was nearly as stubborn as her girlfriend. They parted ways, and she heaved a private sigh of relief when they did. It was difficult but good to have let one another go properly, and she knew that it wasn't a lie that she still cared for his sake.

The two groups seemed to have all said their farewells and Asami realized that Naga would apparently be traveling with them, which gave her further encouragement. As she turned to follow with Iroh and Bolin, her hand on Naga's shoulder for comfort, she glanced back one last time to find Korra only to see that the Avatar was watching her already. Korra gave her a small, hopeful nod, and then they were both walking their own paths: in a few hours, Asami would be taking down her father's airstrike squad and Korra would be revealing Amon for the charlatan he was. But the day would not end happily.


	13. Chapter 13

_Author's Note: The following chapter contains adult themes, and readers should use discretion or skip to the next chapter_

* * *

The steam-yacht powered through the southern waves at an unyielding charge, breaking a constant stream of spray at its bow and leaving a trail of industry in its wake. To Asami, it was a monumental marvel and not simply because of the innovative design of its engines or the tasteful luxury of its cabins. The ship was remarkable to her because it was, officially, hers. With her father in prison his assets would be released by the state into her hands, making her the owner of Future Industries and all of Hiroshi Sato's estate. It was both invigorating and terrifying.

Her first order of business was to arrange for Korra's immediate trip south, to see Master Katara in the Southern Water Tribe. Korra had lost fire, earth, and waterbending in her battle with Amon and Asami didn't need to be her girlfriend in order to realize that the blow had been absolutely crushing to the Water Tribe woman. True, the disaster had brought about Korra's access to her airbending skills, but the cost wasn't worth what Korra had lost. Not to the Avatar, at least.

It was awful for Asami to watch her go through so much inner turmoil and know that there was nothing that she could do to help. Her powerlessness in this had the engineer so frustrated that she found herself grinding her teeth each time she saw her girlfriend whither behind a wall to escape her and everyone else aboard the yacht. The airbending family, the brothers, and even Lin Beifong had come along on the trip for support and with hope-filled hearts but Korra wanted nothing to do with any of them. She'd sealed herself away in her cabin, even eating her meals there and only leaving at night, which Asami knew because they had nearly crossed paths on the deck late one evening. The moment that Korra realized Asami was at the bulwark however, she had retreated and it curled Asami's heart to be avoided so. She simply wanted to do anything to comfort Korra, but what would the Avatar let her do?

The third night of their voyage, Asami came to decision. She'd given Korra her space, she felt, and there was only so much that isolation in a cramped, if elegant, cabin could do for a person. Korra needed her, or maybe she needed Korra, but either way she was going to speak with the girl.

After dinner and while everyone else was on the top-deck with a resting Oogi, Asami slipped from the crowd and came down to Korra's door on the second deck and wrapped lightly on the frame. There was no answer from the other side and she sighed tersely, knowing that Korra was inside and knowing she wasn't likely asleep.

"Korra," she called through the steel. "It's me. Can I come in? Please?"

Another stretch of silence answered, and just as Asami was considering trying again in an hour, the door clicked open by a sliver. She hesitated on the threshold for a moment more then swung the door inwards to enter the cabin.

Korra appeared to have just flopped herself on her four-post bunk, where Asami had the impression that she'd been sitting for a while. The cabin was pleasant and cozy, with a bed, dresser, a table and chair. A single porthole let in the last vestiges of sunset and a lamp on the desk offered some ambiance. Glancing around, Asami noted that Korra had not unpacked and appeared to be living out of one of Naga's saddle bags. A tray, left over from dinner, was half finished and resting on the desk beside a stack of Bolin's comics.

"If you're here to tell me to not worry and be optimistic about the future, don't bother. Tenzin just left," came Korra's dull greeting.

Asami looked pensively back at her girlfriend, who was laying on her back and staring at the low ceiling. She couldn't imagine what Korra was going through, but she could relate to feeling like your future was just a black vacuum. "I'm not here to tell you that," she responded, and looked out the porthole, wondering just what she _could_ say to Korra instead. She'd been given a chance, finally, but what would she do with it? After a moment more of thought, she glanced down at her coat and began to slip apart the oversized buttons with her long fingers, opening up her jacket and then letting if off her shoulders. It landed in a muffled thud and Korra glanced over at her just as she was beginning to unfasten the charcoal blouse she wore beneath.

"Wh...what are you doing?" The Water Tribe girl asked in a different tone, sitting up some.

"Undressing," Asami answered, focusing her eyes on the pearl buttons.

Korra sat up properly, staring at her. "... Why?"

Asami lifted her jade gaze at the Avatar, one brow in a fine, arched line. "Because I want to. Do you want me to stop?"

Korra just swallowed. "No..."

Asami tucked her chin in a perfunctory nod, and continued to unbutton her shirt to reveal slow inches of fair skin. She tugged the garment off her shoulders and moved towards the cabin's chair to hang the shirt over the back, keeping her attention quietly on her actions rather than on Korra. She could positively feel the Water Tribe girl's heated gaze and it caused her a growing thrill in her stomach as she stood in her skirt, stockings, shoes, and black-lace brazier. She tucked her hair back over one shoulder and lifted her foot onto the chair so that she could begin to unbutton the chic clasps of her boot then carefully took off each shoe and placed them neatly beneath the chair. Next, she straightened and placed her hands on the small of her back to unclasp the buttons of her high-waisted skirt, feeling the close weave of quality beneath her fingers as if placing her attention there would somehow lengthen the moment. She didn't dare look at Korra, knowing that her cheeks were nearly the same shade as her slip as she gently slid the cloth down over the curve of her hips. She collected the fabric to fold once and lay over the chair seat, leaving her in a garter belt and panties: all ebony lace and silk.

She cleared her throat, fighting the nearly overwhelming sense of hyper awareness as she reached down her thigh to unbind her garters and bent a knee against the chair to slip down the dark cloth of her stockings. She was methodically slow, more out of a personal need to be so than to tease the woman fixated on her, and when she was finished she folded her stocking as she had everything else. She even turned and bent to grab her coat and lay it atop everything else before she finally lifted her eyes to Korra, who was sitting ram-rod straight and watching her from beneath the fringe of her shaggy bangs.

Korra's expression, her almost naive blush, put Asami oddly at ease. Letting herself be on display could have been humiliating, but Korra was only appreciative and almost tangibly nervous at the sight. Asami reached to click off the lamp cord, casting the room in dim starlight, and then brought her bottom lip between her teeth as she stood in front of Korra where she still sat on the bed. She lifted her arms behind her to unbutton her brazier.

"Wait," Korra got to her feet suddenly, her voice low but pleading. They met eyes again and Korra swallowed, taking a step towards her. She wet her lips, then lifted her hands to cup Asami's cheeks and draw her mouth into a soft, full kiss.

The heiress heaved a silent sigh of relief, breathing against Korra's cheek as the kiss deepened ardently. If Korra had asked her to leave, she could very well have melted into a sulking puddle of mortification; but it did not seem likely that Korra was going to want her out of the cabin any time soon. She felt the young woman's hands lift up the line of her shoulders while their tongues danced, and then the lace straps were sliding down her arms under Korra's fingers. As the Avatar reached around her to pluck at the buttons of her garment, Asami realized that this was in fact the most erotic moment of her young life.

She tugged Korra's lip between her teeth as she was undressed, letting the bra fall away someplace between them, and when Korra began to wander her heated mouth down Asami's jaw she positively shivered. Her eyes fluttered open to gaze unseeing at the wall behind Korra's shoulder while she struggled to maintain her steady breathing. She'd never felt this highly-strung, this malleable towards another person. A virgin, she was not, but even her most enthusiastic embraces with tycoon heirs, boarding school distractions and athletic VIPs had failed to prepare her for the raw passion rippling through her for Korra's slightest touch. When the girl lowered to and drew the peak of her breast between her lips, Asami cried out as if struck and then ripped Korra from her in order to press their mouths together once again while her own hands traveled down the length of Korra's abdomen to find and tug at the hem of her tunic.

Somewhere in their struggle to undress one another, Korra fell back onto the edge of the bed and dragged Asami with her until she was straddling her girlfriend's lap, forcing Korra's head to tilt upwards into a kiss which made her throat an elegant arch in the starboard light. Asami's fingers reached around Korra's sinewed back to fumble at the collection of strict fabric ties that kept her chest bound and hastily she unwound them until she could feel a handful of the girl's breast in her palm. Korra moaned softly into her mouth as she was fondled, while her hands shifted down around Asami's hips.

The heiress gasped with surprise when she was suddenly flipped back upon the bed, landing in a huff against pillows, and then Korra was on top of her, eyes flashing hungrily. She lifted her hands up into the other girl's hair, pulling it free of her ponytail as she had the last time... the first time, but Korra wasn't satisfied to be once more a passive partner. Topless and panting, she leaned up and looked down at the line of Asami's waiting body and the heiress squirmed with fresh wave of shyness under the Avatar's admiration. Korra lifted her hands to the waist of Asami's panties and tugged them down, gently enough to be as considerate of her clothing as Asami was. Finally bared in front of her, Asami let out a small, plaintive sigh and then Korra was covering her with her cinnamon body, pressing down and wandering her fairer flesh with needful hands. Asami let her take her time, allowed her to explore and knead while they furiously melded their mouths but eventually she couldn't endure the writhing tension in her core any longer. She grabbed Korra's hand and, breaking their kiss far enough to look meaningfully at her, she guided it down her stomach, over her mound and to her cleft.

Korra gulped back at her, and then fingers dipped to explore and the sensation rocked Asami unconsciously forward.

"Ooh!" Korra murmured, excited, and kissed into Asami's hair while she gently rolled her fingers.

Asami closed her eyes, clutching at Korra's arm and back, but she wanted more than these soft touches. She laid a hand over Korra's and gently guided her lower, showing her where she wanted her most and when Korra's fingers finally entered her she gasped through her teeth, burying her face in the other woman's neck.

"Oh," Korra repeated, softer. Her strokes were cautious at first, easing into Asami who attempted and failed to not rock against them. She wanted this, needed this moment and not simply because of bundled nerves and driving hormones but because she had wanted to be wrapped in Korra's embrace since the first time the Avatar had given her that full, hard smile. She bucked softly against Korra's fingers as they curled and stroked, encouraging her with timid moans and fettered whispers on Korra's bright cheeks but it didn't take very long. Her finale hovered at the edges of her center and Korra's fervent fingers simply dragged it over and out of her, reaching into a crescendo of ecstasy and throaty cries. Asami hadn't been wrong when she said that she couldn't be quiet.

Asami clung to Korra by her shoulders, her body pulsing with pleasure, and when it had finally left her she could only press her face into the other woman's shoulder once again and breath in her cloying, wild scent in unsteady gasps.

Korra's hand moved, wrapping around her hips, and she lay her weight onto Asami as she held her. Despite the cold of the ship, the engineer felt as if she were slowly burning away under Korra's intensity.

"...Korra," Asami finally croaked and pressed her lips against the girl's forehead.

The Avatar flashed her trademark smile. "Did I do all right?"

"Yes." She took another deep breath, trying to clear her head, and then wrapped an alabaster arm around Korra's waist and pushed her gently to the side, flipping her black curls to look down at her girlfriend in the dim lighting. Her lips opened into a wicked, lascivious smile. "But now you're mine, sweetheart."

Korra's eyebrows rose and she offered Asami a hesitant smile as the heiress lowered her mouth to the dark, spiced skin of Korra's chest, winning a sheer exhale from her girlfriend. Whereas Korra had ventured with her hands, Asami began her investigation with her mouth, taking tame nips of flesh between her even teeth and trailing her tongue down contours of pebbling skin. She swallowed first one and then the second nipple, testing Korra's voice with her rolling tongue before working her way ever lower, as if drawn there by magnetic force. The girl writhed softly on the bed, almost unconsciously, as Asami drew her lips across the undulated flesh of her abdomen. She eased up enough to look down at Korra's strained form, quivering with effort to be still, and she saw that her lover had twisted her fists in the sheets. She smirked endearingly, and reached to gently untie the loop of Korra's trousers, working them down her hips and off her toned, bronze legs.

Looking back at Korra, anxiously naked, splashed in moonlight, Asami held her breath. She wanted to detail this moment into the cement of her mind, to have it return to at lonely moments and reexamine at her leisure for years to come. She sighed faintly and leaned to comb fingers through Korra's wayward bangs.

"You're beautiful, Korra," she confessed, then shifted down between her thighs and bent to place her lips on the corner of Korra's mound. Air hissed from between the Avatar's teeth at the contact while Asami attempted to quiet the trembling in her stomach. She'd known this pleasure from other lovers, but had never actually given it herself, either from squeamishness or disinterest, and she had certainly never attempted with a woman. She felt a nervousness at being inept at something which was suddenly very important for her to excel at. Gingerly, she kissed into Korra's curls and lower along the curve of her feminine and when their lips met, Korra's back arched upwards off the bed.

"A-Asami," she whimpered, delectably pitiful and the heiress felt that pining sink into her stomach to spur her forward. She opened her mouth to flick her tongue between Korra's lips and the reaction she won was fiercely gratifying. She felt her girlfriend's fingers thread into her hair as she lapped her tongue along the delicate folds and the taste she discovered simply encouraged her all the more.

Korra's hips spasmed softly, rocking against Asami's mouth and the woman moaned deeply in her throat to have Korra's need for her so blatantly obvious. She held her by her parted thighs, working with a hasty rhythm at Korra's puckered pearl and then the Avatar stiffened once again, the fingers in Asami's hair tugging as Korra sunk into a puddle of bliss. Asami rode her through, having just so recently known such similar satisfaction, and Korra held her desperately until she was finished. She finally pried her lips away, noting a slight ache in her jaw, and ignored it to kiss back up the line of Korra's heaving stomach. She relaxed her cheek there and Korra's hands fell into her hair at once. Neither spoke for a long time, but it was Korra that finally broke the quiet.

"...Are you ready to go again?"

Asami snorted and laughed into Korra's stomach. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

She was exhausted, but in the way that leaves a body useless and a mind running rampant. Asami had no definite insight on how long they had been at it, though it had all felt like star-speckled hours. She lay on her untamed curls, looking overhead while Korra gazed fondly at her from her side. They both had the spacey grins of happy stupidity plastered to their faces and since they collapsed into mutual giggles every time they met eyes, Asami had given up and turned her attention to the bulkhead, even though she could still feel Korra's playful blue gaze.

"I _really_ hope that no one heard that," Korra's voice sounded lowly in her hear.

"Someone had to have heard that," she scoffed, fingers playing along the bronze leg bent over her hips. "Who cares?"

"You don't?"

"It's my boat now that dad's in prison... so, no."

Korra snorted and placed her lips on Asami's shoulder. "I've been a bum girlfriend."

She rolled her chin to glance back at her, confused. "Why would you say that?"

Korra leaned up on an elbow to look at her, chagrined as she traced an outline on Asami's stomach. "I never even asked you about your dad. I've just been sulking and thinking about myself."

"You think about everyone else all the time. You're allowed to be selfish every now and again."

"So, you do think I'm being selfish?"

"I think you're being human."

Korra's mouth twisted to the side as she considered that. "Well, right now I want to be your _super-human_ girlfriend. Do you want to talk to me about your dad?"

Asami looked back at the ceiling. "No, not really. I mean, it's... it's just difficult. I never thought that my father would want to actually hurt me... but when he was in the cockpit of that mecha he was like some stranger wearing my dad's suit: A 'Hiroshi-mask'. But, it wasn't him at all. It makes me wonder how long he wore that suit for..." she trailed softly. "Maybe the man I loved growing up was just the mask. It could have been something that he put together to keep me happy and feeling safe." Her voice grew quieter as she thought aloud.

"Can I ask you something I've been wondering for a while?" Korra's voice was a husky murmur at that late, intimate hour, but Asami could still hear the note of concern.

"Of course," she responded simply. Dredging up these hurtful truths was taxing, but at least with Korra she had the comfort of those affection-filled blue eyes.

Korra looked away, as if embarrassed. "That night, in the tunnel... why did you choose to fight your father instead of joining him? You two were so close... I honestly thought that you were going to go with him."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I didn't know you very well at the time, but I could tell how important he was to you and ... honestly I don't know if I could have done what you did. That was the moment I realized just how much of you is steel."

Asami blinked at her, and then turned thoughtfully upwards again. She hadn't ever thought of herself in those terms. "Actually, the thought of helping him didn't really occur to me. All I remember was feeling shocked and afraid for him. It was like I was watching him go crazy right in front of me... it felt like he needed me but not in the way he thought that he did. It was more like I needed to take care of him; find a cure for him or something." She glanced back at Korra with a mournful smile. "I never wanted to hurt anyone."

Korra met her gaze and then drifted purposefully closer, cupping Asami's cheek and meeting her lips. She parted from her by a few inches and, still close enough to feel her breath, Korra stared hard at her. "I love you, Asami."

Asami's features softened as a flood of warmth filled her veins, pulsing through her with every push of her fluttering heart. She smiled slowly and reached to pull Korra into her arms. "I love you too," she swore as she rolled on top of Korra, their mouths finding one another in the dark and their bodies shifting to greet the other. It was going to be a _very_ long night.

* * *

 _Author's Note: Next chapter, the conclusion to Book 1!_


	14. Chapter 14

There was no real reason for Korra to wake when she did, but the pink glow of dawn framed the cabin porthole and her eyes sprang open with it, staring at the circle of light on the floor with an interest she hadn't felt in days. Her blue eyes traveled from the floor to the tussled bed and then to the white hand tucked around her waist and she smiled quietly, hearing Asami's slow breathing near her neck. This was something that she could definitely get used to.

She wanted at first to simply lay in the embrace until morning was fully upon them, maybe even wake Asami with a fresh take on the games they had played till all hours the night before, but the Avatar found that she was too restless to lay still, even in Asami's arms. Cautiously, she took Asami's wrist and adjusted her hold so that she could slip free of the covers without startling her bedmate, but Asami was quite dead to the world. It seemed she lacked Korra's stamina after all.

The Avatar smirked at her slumbering girlfriend and searched for her trousers and tunic, then pulled on her boots and deep blue hood. She paused and stood watching Asami for several moments, oblivious to the goofy smile she wore on her chin. The heiress was, astoundingly, even more lovely when sleeping and her sex-tossed curls and bare figure peaking from among the bed-quilt gave Korra an image she wanted to treasure. It was difficult to resist waking her for a kiss, but she settled for a brush of her lips to Asami's forehead instead. The woman murmured in her throat and curled herself tighter but didn't wake and Korra let her be, pulling the quilt higher on her shoulders before turning to leave the cabin in silence.

The stark, frozen southern air greeted her at once and just to taste the salt of her homeland on her tongue was enough to bring another smile to the Water Tribe girl. They were closing in on Harbor City, and then they could easily ride Oogie to the compound where Katara still lived. They were almost finished with this.

She huffed gently and turned fore, walking around the empty deck in the morning silence, hands shoved in her pockets as she brooded.

Brooding was just about all she'd been doing ever since Amon had taken her bending from her. She'd turned everyone, even Asami, away so that she could hate herself in silence but last night had jarred her from her melancholy long enough for her to think that perhaps there was still hope in all of this. Katara was the most skilled healer in the world, and had been Aang's closest companion. It was possible that she would know how to help bring her bending back and Korra began to cling to that in a quiet, reserved way. She didn't want to fool herself, but she was willing to be just a little optimistic.

She rounded the steps to the topdeck, which was empty and kissed with dawn-light, and made at an ambling pace for the bow while her thoughts drifted to the night before. Asami had been simply incredible: her skin, her hair, the way she moved on top and beneath Korra, the sounds she made between their kissing. She'd never had that sort of physical intimacy before, but with Asami it had all felt so natural to her. Effortless. It was a little incredible for her to think that just a few weeks before she had jumped at Asami's most accidental touch, had lain awake at night riddled with confusion about their friendship, but only hours ago had been tangled in bed with her. Just thinking about what Asami had done with her tongue made Korra blush again, and she checked an impulse to return to her cabin and wake the heiress after all. Asami needed to rest, and Korra still needed to walk.

She made a lap from the bow and was just heading portside when a figure appeared from a stairway below decks. Lin Beifong was filled with as much energy as the Avatar, it seemed. Dressed in her warmest overcoat, the former chief of police regarded Korra a moment and then jerked her chin around.

"Hey kid. Want to go for a walk?"

"Um, sure," she agreed hesitantly. Lin Beifong never wanted to talk to her, but maybe having worked together to expose Amon had finally won her some respect from the chief. Maybe. Korra fell in step beside Lin and the two marched down the deck, crossing their arms against the cold.

"How are you holding up?" Lin asked directly. Korra wasn't surprised by her lack of tact.

"Can I wait till after we get to the South Pole to answer that one?" She tried, pushing back her errant tendrils of bed-hair.

Lin snorted and nodded. "Yeah. I'm pretty pissed too."

Korra smirked grimly, turning her attention to her boots as they walked. "I'm not exactly looking forward to going down in history as the Avatar who couldn't bend."

"Well, even if that ends up being the case, that doesn't mean you get to shirk your responsibilities."

The comment was out of place, striking Korra from her somber reverie. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that you're still the Avatar, waterbending or not. People rely on you; maybe not on you yourself but what you symbolize. If you give up, why shouldn't they? It's all part of the deal of being a real public figure," Beifong lectured, shifting her hands behind her back.

"Being a public figure means I'm a symbol?"

"It means a lot of things. People put their faith in the Avatar. Stupid people, but people all the same. They need you to be there for them, and you need to make sure you're someone they can look to and look up to." She shot Korra a look. "That includes keeping your nose clean."

"Hey, I don't start trouble. I help people," she defended, wondering how the hell she had just walked into being berated by Beifong yet again. She'd fought off a terrorist and lost her bending; could the dried-up woman not cut her a little slack?

"It's not just starting or stopping trouble. There's other things to consider too. One bad photograph of you in a tabloid and your reputation can be ruined. You have to be constantly wary of the image you project to others. Look, I know you're a teenager and teenagers want to have a good time, maybe blow off steam and hit the town but when you're in the position that you're in, a photograph of you too far in your drinks or even being rude to an old woman can cause a headache. Drugs, illegal gambling, or accepting bribes can loose your face in an instant. And a young woman like you especially doesn't want to find themselves involved in a sex scandal, so keep that in mind when you're choosing companions."

"... Sex scandal?" She stuttered.

"Right. A married man, a political figure who could be using his relationship with you to his advantage, an ex con. You need to make sure you're not giving people the wrong idea about you and your boyfriend can do just that."

"I don't have a boyfriend," she answered honestly, tone lowering as she thought about Asami in her cabin downstairs.

"Even better. But you will eventually and people are going to judge you for it. I'm not trying to bust your chops kid, my mom had the same conversation with me when I decided that I wanted to be a police officer and I'm glad she did. I've seen a lot of careers lost because of embarrassing scandals: everything from narcotics to fraud to sex workers. I know that Tenzin's too stuffy to talk to you about this sort of thing, but I'm sure has hell not. I'll tell you exactly how it is, and how it is is that you're the Avatar one way or another and you need to be aware that other people are going to be watching you for mistakes."

"...Great." This was not one of Beifong's more inspiring speeches.

Lin paused and left-faced to look back at Korra. "Chin up. You already showed everyone in Republic City that you mean business, and that goes a long way. You earned a lot of respect," her voice softened slightly and she gave Korra's shoulder a brief squeeze. "A lot. That's worth something, don't forget it."

"Yeah," she shrugged, pleased despite herself to have Lin's approval, however bleak it was. "I wont."

The corner of Lin's firm mouth tilted in a shadow of a smile. "You did real good, kid. Bending or no, you saved the city."

Korra met Lin's opal gaze and tucked her chin in a nod. "Thanks, Lin."

"Chief Beifong."

"... Thanks, Chief Beifong."

Lin nodded and, arms held once more at the small of her back, she turned and marched towards the galley, leaving Korra to stand at the bulwark in the sunrise glow alone with her thoughts.

What was all of that about minding her social life? Had it been more than a warning? Surely Beifong didn't know about her and Asami, and even if she did what did she care? Or was that the point? Did people care if Korra was in a relationship with a woman? She remembered the conversation in Asami's car, how Mako had reacted to the thought and how she'd never even heard the word 'lesbian' spoken aloud in polite conversation. It was something being kept hidden, and unconsciously she'd been keeping it hidden too. She had told Asami that she didn't want the boys to know because she had been concerned it would cause a rift between them but maybe it had less to do with bothering them and more to do with bothering her.

Her pondering was broken once again however, this time by Mako, who was clearly happy to see her.

"Hey, you're out of your cabin," he greeted and came to stand beside her at the steel railing, arms hanging casually over the bars.

"Yeah," she shrugged, not looking at him. "I felt like a walk."

"Not much space for walking."

"No, it's not."

"Do you... want to talk?" He tried.

"I really don't."

"Okay." He linked his fingers together, turning his gaze to the same point of light she was fixated on. Korra waited for him to say something more, but the firebender simply stood in silence, unobtrusive and vigilant. After a few moments she realized that he was actually going to respect her wish for quiet, and she relaxed a little. Mako was a soothing presence, and she was somewhat glad for his reserved company as they stood side by side in the morning light and waited for land while she drummed over thoughts of last night and tomorrow.

* * *

"I'm sorry Korra," Master Katara said finally after what had felt like hours of kneeling on her worn rug, though it had probably been only half of one. The waterbending master and healer clasped her withered hands together in front of her and gazed woefully down at young woman, but Korra couldn't bring herself to look back. This was it, then. She hadn't had that much hope to start with, but Katara had just cemented all of her most terrible fears. She was broken, ruined, spent. Her access to the elements was gone and what was she without them? -Who- was she without them?

Katara hesitated in front of her for several moments, as if waiting for Korra to beg for the old woman to try again but Korra simply stared at the floor, features placid. Listless. After several strained moments the healer shuffled for the screen door of her hut, on the other side of which would be all of Korra's family and friends. She could hear the conversation through the screen, could imagine the look of horror on her mother's face, her father's grim frown, Tenzin's proactive stance, Asami's eyes welling up for her sake. It made her want vomit.

Suddenly her limbs felt cool and her cinnamon features flushed as she shot to her feet. She couldn't stand this, their pity and disappointment. She pulled open the screen and they were all as she had imagined them, turning to her to help but she didn't meet their love-filled gazes.

"Korra," Tenzin lamented. "It will be all right."

"No," she answered tonelessly. He was such an idiot. "It wont."

She brushed past him, weaving her way through the crowd of anxious hearts to leave the hut, tugging on her fur-lined hood as she did. The biting wind of the deep south was like a welcome punishment to her cheeks, a reminder that she was where she belonged. Nowhere.

"Korra, wait up," Mako's voice called from Katara's door but she continued her stride towards the compound exit. The ice walls encased her, an apathetic reminder of her decade long isolation, all for nothing. "Korra," he rushed to catch up to her, reaching for her arm but she swiveled from his grasp.

"Go away," she ordered in that same flat tone. He was trying to save her, again, and couldn't he see how much she resented him for that?

"Okay, I will, but you need to know that I'm here for you."

"No. I mean, _go away_. Go back to Republic City, Mako. Get on with your life."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm not the Avatar anymore. You don't need to try and help me."

"Korra," she could hear the appall in his voice. "You being the Avatar doesn't matter to me. Look, when you went missing and we were searching the city for you, I felt like I was loosing it. I couldn't handle never seeing you again and I still cant. I love you."

There it was, spoken aloud and hanging in the ice currents between them. After all of this and -now- he loved her, not when she had been whole and wanting. When he said it, it was as if he'd said nothing at all. It was meaningless in a way which actually stung. She felt guilty, as if she'd made him feel this way and now she had nothing to do but hurt him as thanks for his honesty.

"Mako..." she shook her head, hanging on some worthless response. "I can't," she slumped from the boy's grasp, turning for the compound gates and their promise of endless wasteland. Naga stood at the threshold, anxious and waiting.

"Korra, please."

She ignored his plea, leaving him in the snow as she made quickly for Naga. The polarbear-dog nudged into her embrace at once and she grabbed the reins to lead her out.

"Come on girl," she croaked. Naga whined back, distressed because her companion was obviously so out of sorts. The beast's massive paws crunched into the snow drift, loud enough that they drowned out the sound of Asami's much smaller feet as they approached.

"Sweetheart," the heiress grabbed her shoulder, taking her by surprise. Spots of dying bay-light glimmered on Asami's ebony hair and lined her features in dull orange. "Let me go with you."

The request was so simple and yet it curled her stomach. "Asami, you have to stop."

The engineer's brow kneaded. "I just want to help."

"You _cant_ help," she shot bitterly. Why was everyone so insistent on solving something which was unsolvable? "It's like I told Mako, you need to go back to the real world and leave me alone."

"I won't do that, Korra, you know that," she responded, gentle but firm.

"Then let me make it easier for you. We're over. We're through." The words, laced with so much anger, surprised her a little but she didn't withdraw them. When there had been hope for her future as the Avatar, she had still wanted Asami's comfort but now she was just a burden. "So... go."

Asami's features opened in confusion, the wound glittering in her jade eyes. "You don't mean that."

"Yes, I do. I can't be your girlfriend. I could never be your girlfriend."

"What are you talking about?"

"What were we supposed to do, Asami?" She waved a hand, as if demanding an answer to be offered over. "Hide our relationship from everyone? From the whole world? How long would that even work for?"

"We don't need to hide anything," her voice had taken on a porcelain quality, as if she were struggling to hold it carefully in front of her.

"You want to tell the people you do business with that you're with another woman? Like a sideshow on a street corner? How is anyone going to respect you? How is anyone going to respect me? It's bad enough that I have to be the Avatar that can't bend, I don't need to be Avatar living a scandal too." In a distant way she could hear how hurtful she was being but her own writhing pain blocked it from her ears.

"... You're honestly going to tell me that you're afraid of what other people think of you?"

Korra opened her mouth to respond but realized that she had no retort. She clenched her jaw instead and, unable to meet the disbelief in Asami's eyes, she glared at the bay. "It just wouldn't work."

Asami looked away too, pulling her arms close around herself. The gesture was so deflating. "If that's really how you feel, then I guess it wouldn't."

Korra stood shuffling her weight as she debated what to do next, but Asami made the decision for them both. Wordlessly, she turned, and placed one foot in front of the other back into the compound. Watching her walk away, alone, timeless, and shrouded in snow, Korra very nearly ran to catch up to her but the hand wrapped around Naga's rein did not loosen. Numbly, she twisted and climbed into Naga's saddle, then spurred the polarbear-dog as fast as she would go, needing desperately to put as much distance between her and Asami as she possibly could. Between her and all of them.

* * *

The cliff face she chose to pause at wasn't a special one, it was simply where she felt far enough that she could climb off Naga and walk in solitude. She wanted the iced wind to encase her and soothe away the aching in her heart; to cool the burning in her eyes as she knelt and wept. Fire, earth, water, she'd lost them all and she'd pushed away Asami just to make herself suffer all the worse. Even Mako. She'd wanted him so furiously months ago and now his entreaty felt like such a game. In light of the realization that she had nothing, everything felt like a game.

All she had to rely on now was herself. Only she could know what it meant to be such a failure to the world and that was when she felt Tenzin's familiar presence near her shoulder.

"Tenzin," she sighed harshly, fed up with their sympathy. "I just want to be left alone."

"But, you called for me." The voice was not Tenzin's, and in fact she didn't know it at all... or maybe she'd known it long before in something as distant as a twilight dream. She glanced up, only to be so dismayed by who stood before her that thoughts of Amon, her bending, and even Asami evaporated in the flash of her wonderment.

"Aang," she whispered, overwhelmed with joy. The image of the airbender was someplace in his thirties, handsome and strong. He appeared as real and solid as her own hands and despite never having met him, she felt the urge to rush into his arms.

"You've finally connected with your spiritual self," he congratulated warmly.

"But, how?"

He took a step towards her, leaving no mark in the snow, and reached to place his thumb lightly against her forehead in a gesture which was familiar but entirely unlike how Amon had grabbed and bent her. His eyes slowly lit with the star-white of the Avatar spirit and a mirage appeared behind him of a league of men and women, glowing with the link of the Avatar. An eon of combined knowledge filtered through the incarnations and directly into Korra through Aang's ethereal touch.

"It is when we are at our lowest point that we are most open to the most change," he explained in a voice she felt as much as heard and suddenly Korra was more than her body. She was timelessness and empathy, she was hope and absolution, she was the dynamism of fire; the adaptiveness of water; the steadfastness of earth; the freedom of air. For a moment, perhaps simply an instant among millions or even the last she would ever know, she understood.

Korra felt her shell lift from the snow as she pushed and pulled each raw element through her form, shifting into a crescendo of energy which she wasn't even aware of. In the nirvanic instant of her knowing, she was beyond what she created and simply the essence of the elements she molded to her world. And then as suddenly as it had crashed upon her, the moment passed.

The Avatar settled firmly back to the earth and the spirit of her lives faded, leaving her whole and exhausted. She could have wept with fresh joy if it had been in her nature to wither so easily into tears. Instead, she clenched her fists, eager for the remaining pulses of spiritual energy which coursed just below her skin. It was her hyperawareness that caused her to turn to look behind her, and she was almost unsurprised to see Mako.

The firebender stood, watchful, in the snowdrift, and she saw his features slip into that small smile she liked so much. He gave her a nod, like one teammate to another for a job well done; a silent congratulations on an obstacle overcome and that moment of faith pulled her towards him. Mako was good: he was dependable, he was normal, and he loved her. Maybe she loved him too. It wouldn't be the way that it was with Asami, but she considered that it could be so much simpler this way. Maybe this was the path she needed to pursue now: just one among many on her quest to understand and bring balance to this vulnerable world.

 _End_

* * *

 _Discussion_

 _This could simply be arrogance on my part, but I felt it necessary to address what questions I assume this ending will bring about from the valued reader._

 _First and foremost, 'A Second Glance' was designed to be as close to canon as possible. What I wanted was a story within a story, in which all of the secret looks of distress between characters are re-examined under new light to reveal that what at first appeared to be a romantic entanglement between the girls over Mako was in fact an affair which circumvented Mako almost entirely. With this in mind, I couldn't ignore the fact that in the end, Korra winds up with Mako. This was certainly not the ending that I wanted (even in the show) but it was the closest to form and I chose to respect that._

 _This left me with the issue of figuring out why Korra would choose Mako after having established a relationship with Asami. I realize that the decision for Korra to feel embarrassed about her sexuality may seem insulting to some, but I thought it was honestly realistic and for Korra, it almost fell into place on its own. As a character, she seems constantly at odds with trying to find "her place" in the world as the Avatar. She struggles with her own persona versus the Avatar persona she thinks will best help the world around her. At first, she believes that hitting things till they stop moving will serve her purposes only later to decide that a more thoughtful approach may be more effective. Regardless of her decisions on this role, her oscillation is what I picked up on throughout the series, as well as her self reflective indecision. Personally, I adore this about her because I find it humanizes her, which is where this hesitancy stems from. Korra is only 17 (ish?) and, in this story, has only very recently run headfirst into society to be met with a modernizing world, political intrigue, romantic interest and now an attraction she never expected. If Korra is gay or not, I have no idea. What I do know is that in 'A Second Glance' she falls for Asami and is unprepared for it. Her inexperience in all things sexual/romantic combined with her want to be the Avatar leave her vulnerable to outside opinion and cause what I believe to be a totally reasonable indecision._

 _Asami, however, almost never wavers. She comes off as older and more mature, and for whatever reason she is in possession of actual self-awareness while Korra only pretends to be aware. It seemed more likely to me that she would come to terms with her attraction, and then very quickly be comfortable with that. On top of that, in Book 1 she winds up entirely alone and I don't think that that was ever intentional on her part. She's a small, tragic arch on the sidelines of Korra's story in the show, full of love to give and left with no one to return it. I don't think she would have spurned Korra's love, especially after events with her father left her so very alone._

 _This fic will continue in 'A Second Glance, Book 2'_ _s/11919440/1/A-Second-Glance-Book-II_

 _Thank you so much for reading,_

 _\- Valkrez_


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